A series of 11 country towns across the Australian state of Victoria launched what it said is a "revolutionary" bid to host the Commonwealth Games in '30, according to Nick Mulvenney of REUTERS. The multi-sports Games for mostly former British colonies "has traditionally been held by major metropolitan centers," with Melbourne, New Delhi and Glasgow hosting the last three editions. Australia's Gold Coast "will break that tradition to some extent when it hosts the quadrennial event in the sprawling beachside metropolis next year" but the '30 bid "spreads the event right across the state." Led by Greater Shepparton City Council, a town of 63,000 some 200km north of Melbourne, the bid represents a "first of a kind vision" that could become the norm for future multi-sports gatherings, organizers said. Shepparton Mayor Dinny Adem said in a statement, "What we are unveiling today is ... blueprint for future major sporting events given the cost required and infrastructure needed to hold global competitions like the Commonwealth Games" (REUTERS, 4/13).
