Maybe it’s time Canberra started to think big about sport. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
As a radio commentator, after every Olympics, Paralympics and Commonwealth Games, an easy talk-back topic would always solicit considerable feedback: should Canberra consider bidding for major multi-sport events?
While some expressed hope that we might one day, as the nation’s capital, be in a position to host a significant sports event, the majority dismissed the idea as folly.
This less-than-scientific poll, in many respects, revealed much about the psyche of Canberra. I suspect it remains true to this day.
The almost immediate barriers cited include cost, the lack of facilities, the lack of accommodation and questionable transport infrastructure.
Those who were quick to put the shutters up on the concept cited the tried and tested argument of competing demands.
Money needs to be spent on education and health, and sport has continued to slide down the list of priorities ever since.
The closest Canberra has come to hosting a major multi-sport event came in 2013 with the Centenary Celebrations.
While the events didn’t take place at the same time, there was almost a major sports event every month, giving Canberrans a sense that they were the centre of the sports universe.
I have serious doubts as to whether the ACT is capable, both from an infrastructure point of view or from a big-picture approach, of hosting a large multi-sport event. Perhaps that boat has sailed.
It’s obvious we don’t have the facilities, and judging by the time taken to decide on Canberra Stadium, there might never be a time that we have the right infrastructure.
It wasn’t that long ago that a new city stadium was considered. Perhaps this would have helped build the beginning of a hub for sports events in Canberra. Photo: GHDWoodhead.
But there is more to it than simply facilities.
As a city, we don’t seem to have the ‘can do’ attitude that Canberra as a community once prided itself.
We appear more than happy to say no to most suggestions outside regular weekend sporting events.
The exception is the Kanga Cup, which has become so big rival cities have toyed with the idea of buying the rights to lure the event away from Canberra.
The Kanga Cup puts Canberra on the national sporting stage – at least in terms of attendance. Photo: Supplied.
While it has the sole focus of competition for junior soccer, it shows what the city is capable of doing. I have doubts as to whether the Kanga Cup as a new concept proposed today would get off the ground in Canberra.
Instead, as many barriers as possible would be placed in front of the proposal.
As a community, we need to have optimism that big-picture ideas and ideas out of the box will be taken seriously and, in some cases, advanced to the next stage.
Perhaps the A-League Men and other significant attempts to broaden our horizon have taken their toll on enthusiasm.
But this shouldn’t stop us from continuing to try to bring events and competitions to Canberra. We won’t get anywhere with a camera-shy approach.
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