World aquatics championships pulled from Mtl
This is so stupid and seems so typical to where we live...pathetic  Why can't they get anything right (government and etc...)
| quote: | World swim championships pulled from Montreal
CTV.ca News Staff
It appears money problems have sunk plans to hold the 2005 world aquatic championships in Montreal, Quebec this summer.
In a unanimous decision announced Wednesday, aquatic sports' world governing body, the Fédération Internationale de Natation, said the city had fallen short of the requirements to host the competition in July.
"The FINA bureau regrets having had to make this decision but this was necessary to secure the holding of the championships 2005,'' the federation said in a statement.
Responding to word of the cancellation, organizers in Montreal said they never doubted their own ability to stage the championships, but nevertheless accepted the decision with "deep regret."
"The organizing committee always remained confident that it could organize successful championships in Montreal. However, the decision from FINA is the result of various partners not able to come to a compromise on the financing of the championships," their statement said.
Organizers of the two-week competition -- which was to include swimming, diving, water polo, and synchronized swimming -- has had trouble raising money to cover the budget promised when Montreal was named host back in 2001.
Despite the announcement Tuesday that Tourism Montreal would kick in an extra $500,000, hot on the heels of the Aquatic Federation of Canada's decision to forgo a $500,000 legacy it was promised by the games, the organizers were unable to cover a budget shortfall of millions.
Chief among their shortcomings was the inability to drum up sufficient support from corporate sponsors. In turn, it was believed sponsors remained uninterested because organizers sold just a fraction of the available tickets.
Anticipated as one of the largest sporting events to visit Montreal since the 1976 Olympics, federal, provincial and municipal governments had all poured millions into the project -- most of which was spent on a various infrastructure projects.
According to Aquatic Federation of Canada president Linda Cuthbert, pulling the games now will have the effect of "setting Canadian sport back several years."
"There are questions in the international community about Canada's commitment to sport. Any federation looking at hosting an event in the next 10 years, you can be sure they won't have confidence in our ability to host it," Cuthbert said.
FINA is expected to announce a new host city by mid-February.
Among the rumoured contenders are Long Beach, California, Athens, Greece and Germany's Munich or Berlin.
With files from The Canadian Press |
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