Games-Australia's Victoria to spread 2026 Commonwealth Games far and wide

MELBOURNE :The Australian state of Victoria will host the 2026 Commonwealth Games across four regional hubs in a break from the traditional single-city model, the government said on Tuesday.

With no other countries outside Australia making a bid, Victoria was granted an exclusive negotiating period to secure the Games in February.

"It’s a great honour to have Victoria chosen as the host venue for the 2026 Commonwealth Games - we can’t wait to welcome the world to all of our state," Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said.

Victoria capital Melbourne hosted the 2006 Games and will stage the 2026 opening ceremony at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, but the sports will be spread far and wide.

Each of the regional hubs in Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo and Gippsland will have their own athletes' village.

Geelong, a port city an hour southwest of Melbourne, will host swimming, gymnastics, beach volleyball and other sports.

Ballarat and Bendigo, goldfield cities in central Victoria, will have athletics, boxing, netball, squash and weightlifting.

The Gippsland region in eastern Victoria will have rugby sevens, badminton and cycling.

Twenty20 cricket has also been included in a core group of 16 sports.

Other sports may yet be added to the programme, which could mean other locations hosting events, the government said.

"It is different,” Andrews told reporters in Melbourne on Tuesday. "I’m sure from (Commonwealth Games authorities') point of view, it’s a bit riskier than just running it in the middle of a large city.

"But to do this and to do it well – and we will – there’s an opportunity here ... an opportunity like no other."

RUNWAY FOR 2032

The quadrennial Games, a multi-sport gathering for mostly former British colonies, has struggled to remain