Brisbane confirmed as host of 2032 Olympic Games

Bengaluru, July 21: The Australian city of Brisbane has been formally confirmed as the host of the 2032 Olympic Games by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The IOC had already made the Australian city in the state of Queensland its preferred candidate and no other hosts were considered.

Brisbane is the first bid to win the right to host the Olympics uncontested since the 1984 Games staged in Los Angeles.

The bid proposed 32 venues, with The Gabba stadium, a prominent international cricket venue, set to be refurbished as part of the proposals.

The Gabba is in line to host the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as the leading athletics events.

BRISBANE 2032 ELECTED AS HOST OF THE GAMES OF THE XXXV OLYMPIAD!

CONGRATULATIONS! pic.twitter.com/h66C9pHxcG

— IOC MEDIA (@iocmedia) July 21, 2021

Australia has twice staged the Olympics previously, in Melbourne (1956) and Sydney (2000).

Following the delayed 2020 Games in Tokyo, which started on Wednesday, the Olympics will go to Paris in 2024 and LA in 2028 before Brisbane four years later.

India, Indonesia, Qatar, Germany and Spain had all been interested in hosting the Games, but did not advance to IOC board approval, with Brisbane fast-tracked.

Qatar whose previous bid for 2020 Olympics fell flat will host the 2022 FIFA World Cup though, incidentally becoming the first country in Middle East and Arab nation to host the quadrennial extravaganza.

(With OPTA inputs)