Glasgow | 2018 Youth Olympics Bid

[Jamandell (d69)]

Glasgow has been selected as the British candidate to host the 2018 Youth Olympics.

(I wonder if anyone at the top has discussed the elephant in the room, the fact that Glasgow may not be British in 2018)

http://www.gamesbids.com/eng/youth_o...216136106.html

Glasgow Great Britain's Candidate For 2018 Youth Olympic Games

Glasgow, host of the 2014 Commonwealth Games, is Great Britain's candidate in its bid for the 2018 Youth Olympic Games.
The British Olympic Association (BOA) confirmed Wednesday they will formally submit a bid from Glasgow.

BOA Chairman Colin Moynihan said, "we believe that hosting the 2018 Youth Olympic Games would present an outstanding and unique opportunity to further expand the legacy of the London 2012 Games.

"Among the many attributes that Glasgow has to offer the Olympic Movement is the fact that, as host city of the 2014 Commonwealth Games, a great deal of the required infrastructure will already be in place.

"Glasgow also has outstanding leadership, a strong dedication to sport, and will benefit greatly from the experience of hosting a major international multi-sport competition in 2014".

The candidature file will be delivered to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in October, a shortlist will be announced in January 2013, and the host city of the 2018 Youth Games will be announced in the summer of 2013.

[Pious Fraud]

Blue sky thinking required over bid to stage Youth Games in Glasgow

By

Doug Gillon (Sports Writer)

The Herald 25th February 2012

ENOUGH is enough.

We have firmly backed the principal of event tourism, whereby the Scottish Government has bankrolled sport and cultural events through Eventscotland. Cost benefit analysis has demonstrated its efficacy. The announcement that Glasgow is bidding to host the 2018 Youth Olympic Games, though, seems several steps too far.

The lure of being designated "Olympic City" seems to have gone to the heads of those who have approved this. It has been acknowledged for some time at Westminster level and in the corridors of the 2012 Olympic organising committee that, had the current economic climate prevailed when London was bidding, there would have been no 2012 bid.

Well, despite the conditions which prevail now, Glasgow is bidding for the YOG. It may not surprise you to learn that no other UK city wanted them. Glasgow is the sole UK candidate, as confirmed by the British Olympic Association.

The city confirmed yesterday that the cost of bidding would be between £1.5m and £2m but would give no figure for the actual cost of staging YOG. No more could Eventscotland. "The actual figure will come out of the process as we work up the bid," said a spokesman. Both declined to comment on our belief that the cost be close to £200m. Reticence is understandable, but silence is the preserve of those with something to hide.

Are we really to believe that Glasgow and Eventscotland have entered this expensive race with no idea of the entry fee? We do hope not. The cost of hosting Glasgow 2014 has escalated from £288m to £530m. The London Olympics and Paralympics were originally budgeted at £2.37bn. It's likely to cost more than five times that.

So it is prudent to be concerned about the cost of the Youth Olympics in Glasgow. The best guide we can give is the inaugural Olympic Youth Games, in Singapore two years ago. They cost £186m, almost three times the original estimate figure. For Glasgow to consider such expenditure in the current climate, when the potential return is miserable, defies belief. Glasgow has had difficulty in finding a host broadcaster for 2014. That's nothing to the difficulty of finding one for the 2018 YOG, when no identifiable celebrity will be competing. They will be equally unattractive to commercial sponsors.

Spectators? Can you imagine a rush for tickets by Scots when the GB team is likely to contain few, if any, Scots? Team GB in Singapore numbered 39. Only two were Scots: the modern pentathlete Kerry Prise from Aberdeenshire, and the triathlete Andrew Hood, from Fife.

There is every danger that Glasgow could win host status. Thus far, other candidates include Glasgow's former Commonwealth Games rivals, Abuja, where Boko Haram, an Islamist group aligned with Al Quaeda, attacked the UN building last August killing 23 people. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office notes a current "high threat of terrorism in Nigeria". Last month the same jihadist group killed 185 people in Kano, some 200 miles from Abuja, and this week explosions and gunfire were reported there prompting FCO to advise against all but essential travel.

Other candidates are:

l Guadalajara, Mexico. F&CO advises that, nationally, "crime and kidnapping can be a problem, particularly in urban areas". The state of Jalisco, of which the city is capital, suffered 593 drug-related killings in 2010. Guadalajara has witnessed isolated grenade attacks and last year road blockades were set up on the main road between the city and its airport;

l Medellin, Colombia, home of an infamous drug cartel. F&CO warn of "a high threat from terrorism. Continued, violent, indiscriminate attacks targeting government and military installations, embassies, public transport, public spaces, and other areas frequented by foreigners occur throughout Colombia";

l Kaspiysk, Russia. F&CO "advise against all travel . . . because of the security situation . . . terrorism and kidnapping in the region are a serious risk". It is notorious for a street bomb a decade ago which killed 40 people including women and children, and injured 133. Five months ago a police officer was killed and more than 60 injured in a bomb blast just 11 miles away in the Dagestan capital, Makhachkala;

l Buenos Aires, Argentina, where anti-British feeling over Falklands issues persist, though there are no F&CO travel restrictions.

Sweden's Olympic Committe have invited Malmo, Gothenburg and Stockholm to consider bidding. If they do, Glasgow might then have a serious rival.

Far better, surely, than forcing Glasgow to sign a blank cheque, would be for this money to be spent as Eventscotland has been doing: by investing in individual events. For the £186m it cost Singapore, Glasgow – Scotland – could host dozens of world, European and Commonwealth championships over a period, all of these would have a far greater beneficial effect on Scotland's economy, and would do far more to establish Scotland's credibility as an international sports venue than the YOG.

http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/...asgow.16854099

[Pious Fraud]

Other candidates are:

Guadalajara, Mexico. F&CO advises that, nationally, "crime and kidnapping can be a problem, particularly in urban areas". The state of Jalisco, of which the city is capital, suffered 593 drug-related killings in 2010.

Welcome to Guadalajara, amigo

'Irn-Bru? We don't need no steenkin' fucking Irn-Bru!'

[Ultima]

Doug Gillon sounds like an utter cunt.

[legslikeaspider]

I think he makes some very decent points in that article actually: bidding for these games would be pretty cheap and it sounds like we have a decent chance of winning though I think he is too quick to dismiss Buenos Aires. However, he is right to be wary of spiralling costs. In the current economic climate, and so soon after the CG's have been hosted, I think many here would prefer if £180 million or more be spent on local infrastructure projects. That could maybe buy us a rail link to the airport or perhaps it would get us an integrated transport ticketing system with lots of money left over to improve rail stations, make George Square a proper greenspace again, get a riverbus service going up and down the Clyde.

Sure, we would have a lot of the necessary facilities left over from the CG's so the cost may not be so high as they were for Singapore, but I imagine we would have to build a new Athlete's village and lose Hampden Park for football for another season while they re-install the running track.

In my opinion, if Scotland were to stage a major sporting event, I reckon we should be looking at an U-20/21 football world cup or the Rugby World Cup - if NZ can host it all on their own then surely Scotland can too with maybe a wee bit of help from Ireland.

[Ultima]

Originally Posted by legslikeaspider

I think he makes some very decent points in that article actually: bidding for these games would be pretty cheap and it sounds like we have a decent chance of winning though I think he is too quick to dismiss Buenos Aires. However, he is right to be wary of spiralling costs. In the current economic climate, and so soon after the CG's have been hosted, I think many here would prefer if £180 million or more be spent on local infrastructure projects. That could maybe buy us a rail link to the airport or perhaps it would get us an integrated transport ticketing system with lots of money left over to improve rail stations, make George Square a proper greenspace again, get a riverbus service going up and down the Clyde.

Sure, we would have a lot of the necessary facilities left over from the CG's so the cost may not be so high as they were for Singapore, but I imagine we would have to build a new Athlete's village and lose Hampden Park for football for another season while they re-install the running track.

In my opinion, if Scotland were to stage a major sporting event, I reckon we should be looking at an U-20/21 football world cup or the Rugby World Cup - if NZ can host it all on their own then surely Scotland can too with maybe a wee bit of help from Ireland.

Now we have the infrastructure in place from the GCC, hosting the Youth Olympics would be much easier and cheaper.

[jobsenski]

Is this man forgetting that London won the chance to host the olympics in the same week as the 7/7 bombings! what a nut! Glasgow is probably perceived (unfairly) as just as dangerous for a group of young athletes as any of the other cities that he has dismissed!

[samito]

Originally Posted by Pious Fraud

Welcome to Guadalajara, amigo...

[samito]

I invite you to participate in the Latin forum: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1461299

[david_gla]

Originally Posted by samito

I invite you to participate in the Latin forum: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1461299

I'd love to samito but as I can't speak Spanish it might be a bit of a futile exercise!

[samito]

Originally Posted by david_gla

I'd love to samito but as I can't speak Spanish it might be a bit of a futile exercise!

doesn't matter. I teach you language spanish.

[Pious Fraud]

Originally Posted by samito

I invite you to participate in the Latin forum: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1461299

See you there, samito...

[Its AlL gUUd]

Originally Posted by legslikeaspider

In my opinion, if Scotland were to stage a major sporting event, I reckon we should be looking at an U-20/21 football world cup or the Rugby World Cup - if NZ can host it all on their own then surely Scotland can too with maybe a wee bit of help from Ireland.

You forgot one thing, the New Zealand Rugby Board actually made a loss on the World Cup and Rugby is their National Sport. Only larger countries would be able to turn a profit nowadays (Japan should've got 2011 anyway).

Regarding the Youth Olympics, Glasgow would be a good choice even if it is just to increase the ambition of the city and it's youngsters, however I can't see it benefitting in Economic terms. The CWG probably realises some of those ambitions anyway. Besides the IOC will have to take into account that by 2018 Glasgow may not be British and therefore cannot be nominated by the BOA, if there is a Scottish Olympic Association by then, they would have to carry it on. Could open a whole can of worms.

I agree however that Scotland as whole probably should bid for a U21 tournament, so then at least the whole country can benefit.

[david_gla]

http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/en/News/PMBacks2018Bid.htm

Prime Minister David Cameron joined more than 100 aspiring young sports stars at a summer camp in Glasgow today (Tuesday, 31 July 2012) as he backed the city’s bid to host the 2018 Youth Olympic Games.

The Prime Minister visited the summer camp at Scotstoun Stadium with Councillor Gordon Matheson, Leader of Glasgow City Council, where they watched young people take part in a variety of sporting activities including athletics, table tennis, netball, badminton and tennis.

Among those in attendance were pupils from Glasgow School of Sport – Scotland’s only school dedicated to sporting excellence. Mr Cameron then spent some time with the young people watching the action from the London 2012 Olympic Games on big screens at the £18million Glasgow City Council owned facility.

Afterwards the Prime Minister said a successful Glasgow bid to host the 2018 Youth Olympic Games would be guaranteed legacy for London 2012 and the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and would be a catalyst for the next phase in the UK’s journey with the Olympic Movement.

Glasgow’s Bid is underpinned by the ‘Be a Champion in Your Life’ campaign, which has young people at its very heart and seeks to deliver a Games that empowers young people globally to believe they can be champions in their lives.

Prime Minister David Cameron said: “I am delighted to give my backing to Glasgow's bid to host the 2018 Youth Olympics and sustain the momentum of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“Whilst the Youth Olympics may not turn every child into tomorrow’s Chris Hoy or Hannah Miley, I am convinced that if we can bring the Games to the UK, we will help even more young people develop a sporting habit for life.

"The tremendous legacy of the 2012 Games is not just about stadiums and the economy, it is also about young people. All our great athletes started at a young age and I believe that the Youth Olympics is about opening young people’s eyes to the possibility of sport and inspiring the next generation of Olympic heroes.

Councillor Gordon Matheson, Leader of Glasgow City Council, said: "Being in Scotstoun today and seeing the excitement and enthusiasm that our young people have for sport and for the Olympic Games showed exactly why Glasgow would be the perfect host city for the 2018 Youth Olympic Games.

“A real strength of our bid is that it has the support of government of all levels and we are delighted that the Prime Minister is backing the bid – we have a shared commitment to bringing the Youth Olympic Games to Glasgow.

"We are a proud sporting city and have a proven track record of delivering world-class sporting events but over and above that we have a very real commitment to young people. They are our champions and they will be our strongest voice as we work to win the right to host the 2018 Youth Olympic Games."

Scottish Government Minister for Commonwealth Games and Sport, Shona Robison, said: “The hugely successful launch event for the Glasgow 2018 Youth Olympic Games Bid at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum last month showcased to all of us who were there just a tiny proportion of the creative and sporting talent that Glasgow and Scotland has to offer.

“Realising the potential of Scotland’s young people is a key reason why the Scottish Government is delighted to be leading this bid with our partners at Glasgow City Council and the BOA. The Prime Minister’s support is very welcome and is another signal that Glasgow and Scotland have an exciting vision for a Youth Olympic Games that will be an inspiration to young people throughout Scotland, the UK and the world.”

The Secretary of State for Scotland, Michael Moore, said: “The Olympics is already transforming the way people across the UK look at and engage with sport and will leave a legacy inspiring the next generation to compete and succeed. The example being set by the Games and our Olympians provides the perfect platform to support a bid for the 2018 youth event. I support it fully and will work with the Scottish Government, Glasgow City Council and sporting bodies to help bring it to Glasgow.”

The Glasgow 2018 Bid is a strong partnership between the Scottish Government, Glasgow City Council and the British Olympic Association (BOA) and has the full and active support of government at all levels. Young people played a vital role in the development of the ‘Be a Champion in Your Life’ campaign.

[Squirrelking]

Originally Posted by jobsenski

Is this man forgetting that London won the chance to host the olympics in the same week as the 7/7 bombings! what a nut!

The hosting decision was made on the 6th of July.

As it is I agree with the general tone of the article, let someone else take the vanity project and spend the money one something that benefits the whole population (like maybe some nurses or public transport).

[david_gla]

Originally Posted by Squirrelking

The hosting decision was made on the 6th of July.

As it is I agree with the general tone of the article, let someone else take the vanity project and spend the money one something that benefits the whole population (like maybe some nurses or public transport).

Hmm.. i'm not sure what about speculate to accumulate? By hosting the CWG and YOG the profile of the city should be raised around the world and investment attracted.

The Government could already be spending money on public transport but are choosing not to. Never mind rail links and trams etc, my main priority for transport in Glasgow would be the renationalise the bus service, this is something the Goverment could already have in place if it had the will and stuck to it's promises.

[Squirrelking]

I don't think that's really worth a fuck at the moment, London has apparantly seen footfall and spending down in the last two weeks and all the promised spending has failed to materialise.

And I agree on that, instead of spending money on the likes of the Forth crossing should we not be thinking of improving public transport instead? But I don't want to deviate into politics so I won't say any more here on that, I've made my point.

[david_gla]

Originally Posted by Squirrelking

I don't think that's really worth a fuck at the moment, London has apparantly seen footfall and spending down in the last two weeks and all the promised spending has failed to materialise.

And I agree on that, instead of spending money on the likes of the Forth crossing should we not be thinking of improving public transport instead? But I don't want to deviate into politics so I won't say any more here on that, I've made my point.

I think London's a bit of a funny one. To me it's one of the most well known cities in the world, if someone wanted to visit it or invest in it they would, I don't think hosting the olympics is going to make much of a difference. The reduction in footfall is probably due to horror stories in the press about gridlocked public transport etc that never materialised causing people to stay away from London rather than visit it.

I think Glasgow is different though, we are less known worldwide and hosting big events are most important to the city to raise our profile on the world stage.

[Due East]

Originally Posted by Squirrelking

I don't think that's really worth a fuck at the moment, London has apparantly seen footfall and spending down in the last two weeks and all the promised spending has failed to materialise.

And I agree on that, instead of spending money on the likes of the Forth crossing should we not be thinking of improving public transport instead? But I don't want to deviate into politics so I won't say any more here on that, I've made my point.

I think London is a relatively unique situation though. As it is such a busy city anyway, there is actually a perverse incentive for people not to visit during the olympics. Smaller cities like Glasgow could possibly benefit as there is less likely to be the fear that the city will have ground to a halt during proceedings.

I do share your concern about economic impact projections for these kind of things though. They are almost always as far fetched as the initial budgets these events are supposed to cost when they are agreed.

[david_gla]

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/h...games.18806558

A £230 million budget and plans for a new diving pool and BMX track have been unveiled as part of Glasgow's bid to host the 2018 Youth Olympic Games.

The bid, seen as another legacy of the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, is expected to clear its final hurdle with approval for its budget next week.

The Scottish Government is funding 70% of the costs, with Glasgow City Council coming up with the remainder.

Glasgow will compete against five other cities from across the globe: Poznan in Poland, the Dutch port of Rotterdam, Guadalajara in Mexico, Medellin in Colombia, and the Argentinian capital Buenos Aires. The winning candidate will be announced in July next year.

The bid aims to rely mainly on sports venues being developed and improved for the 2014 Games, as well as rowing and canoeing facilities at Strathclyde Park in North Lanarkshire and the Scottish National Sailing Centre at Largs, North Ayrshire.

The only new build plans are for a BMX track and a diving pool as an extension to Tollcross, in the east end.

Currently there is no BMX track suitable for major events in Scotland, while there is also no training or competition standard diving pool in the west of the country.

The present favoured location for the BMX track is Alexendra Park, in Dennistoun.

A new Games Village would be built at Sighthill, which was previously a frontrunning location for the 2014 accommodation, meeting all the requirements of the International Olympic Committee.

It is funded separately and as one of the key regeneration areas in the city will go ahead regardless of whether the bid is successful.

Organisers want Glasgow to follow on from the success of the 2010 Youth Olympics in Singapore, where the sale of 230,000 tickets and merchandising netted the city £6m.

It also drew 38,000 international visitors and worldwide media attention. It was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 247 million.

If successful, Glasgow would also join a powerful roster of Olympic cities, including Sochi in Russia, Rio in Brazil, and Nanjing in China, countries that account for 40% of the world's population and more than 25% of global gross domestic product.

In all, the estimated Games budget at 2018 prices is £203.8m and with a contingency provision of £30.5m added, this amounts to £234.3m.

Glasgow's contribution would be £70.2m spread over 2013 to 2019, with the majority of spend expected in the later years. The Scottish Government would be providing the contingency cash.

Council leader Gordon Matheson said: "This is a unique opportunity for the UK to continue its Olympic journey and continue to inspire a generation of young people in the wake of London 2012.

"Winning the bid would not only further enhance our reputation on the world stage but also continue to sustain and create jobs in our tourism, creative, event and service industries which are so vital to the city's economy."

Commonwealth Games minister Shona Robison said: "Hosting the Youth Olympic Games in 2018 is an exciting prospect for Glasgow and Scotland and will build on the sporting legacy from the 2014 Commonwealth Games."

However, the city's sole Tory councillor, David Meikle, raised concerns over the scale of the outlay. He said: "We need to ensure there's a full discussion, that this proposal is fully examined and the outlay consulted on before we sign up to this."