Edmonton, Canada has withdrawn its bid to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games, "leaving Durban in South Africa as the only remaining bidder," according to the BBC. A statement from the bid team said "financial reasons and a global fall in oil prices were behind the withdrawal." Edmonton has said it "will bid again to host the 2026 event." Bid Chair Reg Milley said, "This hasn't been an easy decision. Our team has been working tirelessly these last months to put together an extraordinary bid" (BBC, 2/11). In Toronto, Justin Giovanetti reported when oil was selling for more than $100 a barrel, "Alberta pledged to come up with most of" the $1B needed to bring the 2022 Commonwealth Games to Edmonton. On Tuesday, with oil at just more than $50, the city said the province had "withdrawn its offer." By moving the bid for the Commonwealth Games forward by four years, "organizers hope Alberta's economy will have had time to rebound from a situation that is only expected to worsen over the course of the coming year." The sharp decline in the oil price since last summer has left Alberta's provincial government with a deficit that it says could reach up to $7B over the next year (GLOBE AND MAIL, 2/10). EYEWITNESS NEWS' Abed Ahmed reported Durban is on par to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games. South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee CEO Tubby Reddy said that "due process will be followed." Reddy: "We have noted Edmonton's decision to withdraw from the bid process to host the Commonwealth Games in 2022. As the Bid Committee for the City of Durban, we are required to follow due process and lodge our bid with the Commonwealth Games Federation." Edmonton's decision comes "just weeks ahead of the March deadline to submit bids." Durban is the "only other city vying to host the multi-sports event" (EYEWITNESS NEWS, 2/11).
