Journey to the Commonwealth Games 2018 – Can we market “Hambantota”?
The 2018 Commonwealth Games page on Wikipedia recently reported the following: “On March 31, 2010, the Sri Lankan city of Hambantota made a surprise offer for the 2018 Commonwealth Games.”
It was a big surprise as Wikipedia tells everyone that Sri Lanka; A tiny dot on the world map is battling Australia’s Gold Coast to host one of the biggest sporting events in the world. It will be a challenge for Sri Lanka as the Gold Coast is the sixth largest city and the fastest growing region in Australia. It is a city that remains one of the most biodiverse with wooded land, freshwater and marine habitats, including 70 km of golden beaches.
Hambantota, a city badly hit by the 2004 tsunami and one of the poorest districts in Sri Lanka, is now heading towards a complete miracle with major development projects. The winning bidder between the two contestants will be announced in Basseterre, St Kitts on November 11, 2011.
Can Sri Lanka do it?
It can be argued that this is too much for Sri Lanka, as we have to find between 200 and 250 billion rupees to carry out this event. But in real life there is nothing wrong with thinking BIG. If you are sure to find this investor money, and if you have a solid plan, you must. It’s about how you struggle with your own mind to accept challenges. Remember NOT taking risks will give you ZERO return.
We can consider this whole exercise of winning Commonwealth games for “Hambantota” as one of the most important marketing exercises in the country. In the initial stage it has nothing to do with sports administration. This is exclusively Hambantota marketing. What value we could add and how we differentiate ourselves will be the key to winning this. Bringing common wealth games to Hambantota can go a long way in promoting Sri Lanka tourism.
It is encouraging to see marketers such as the former president of the Sri Lanka Marketing Institute, Mr. Nalin Attygalle, behind this. It will be the responsibility of all marketers in our country to step forward and contribute to making this a reality.
If Hambantota can pass, it will be a great opportunity for the youth of Sri Lanka. There are eight more years to go to the game and whoever can start today may have a fair chance of reaching the medal tally in 2018. It is all about proper future planning and commitment to the goal.
If we could think that we are not smaller and if all Sri Lankans could work towards a common goal, we could make 2018 a historic year for our country. In 1996 no one predicted that “Sri Lanka” would become world cricket champions. But we beat the favorite Australia to win the title. History can repeat itself.
Marketers: Today is your turn to make Sri Lanka proud.