Hambantota 2018 Unveils Emblem for Commonwealth Games Bid

31st January 2011, Hambantota, Sri Lanka – His Excellency President Mahinda Rajapaksa joined the Co-Chairs of Sri Lanka’s bid to bring ‘the island jewel of the Indian Ocean’ its first Commonwealth Games today in unveiling the Hambantota 2018 emblem.

Launched in a ceremony typical of the nation’s vibrant culture and passion for sport, the design features eight pairs of hands in the colours of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF). Each pair of hands is pressed together, palms together and fingers pointed outwards. This symbolises Añjali Mudrā, the hand gesture practiced throughout Asia and the continent’s eight Commonwealth members; it has the same meaning as the customary spoken Sanskrit greeting Namaste. The design also depicts the similar Ayubowan gesture, a cultural symbol of Sri Lanka and Sri Lankan hospitality. The bid strap line is ‘Together. From the heart.’

Opening the proceedings at his office, Temple Trees, His Excellency President Mahinda Rajapaksa said: “This launch of Hambantota’s 2018 Commonwealth Games emblem signifies the rapid progress Sri Lanka is making since the tsunami and the end of terrorism. We are moving forward together as one nation and look forward to the opportunity of welcoming our friends throughout the Commonwealth to Sri Lanka and Hambantota in 2018. Our bid for the 2018 Games is also an important message to everyone in the country that we are an ambitious nation, growing rapidly in economic and social development.”

Ajith Nivard Cabraal, Hambantota 2018 Organising Committee Co-Chairman and Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, added: “We are an island nation with a big heart and big aspirations; we are taking very seriously our responsibility as a CGF Candidate City in bidding for the honour of hosting the 2018 Games. This is a welcoming and celebratory emblem that embodies our bid. It is not just an emblem but a promise we keep both to the CGF and visitors to our country. Hospitality is second nature to us and, together as a nation, we will continue to extend the hand of friendship to all.”

The Hambantota 2018 bid campaign promises to reflect Sri Lanka’s natural beauty, cultural splendours and history with the vibrancy of a ‘new’ city. The coastal city in the south of the island is already undergoing a number of major development projects. A new sea port and second international airport are under construction, with a high capacity public transport system and new road network in the pipeline. The state-of-the-art venues planned for Hambantota 2018 itself, to be designed in consultation with International Federations and the CGF, will be clustered together to create a new and compact Sports City including the Games Village.

Sri Lanka's Sports Minister and Co-Chairman of the Organising Committee, Hon. Mahindananda Aluthgamage, said: “The development of sport throughout Sri Lanka is a top priority for the Government; the new National Sports Plan is testimony to this commitment. The sporting infrastructure planned for Hambantota is the beginning of this sporting renaissance. Our commitment to all CGAs (Commonwealth Games Associations) is that all venues and infrastructure will be ready by December 2016, with 2017 used for test events. We will plan an exemplary event in 2018, with superb training and competition venues in iconic surroundings.”

Children and young people are a core focus of the bid campaign and a number of high-profile Sri Lankan sporting ambassadors will be working with youth throughout the country as part of Minister Aluthgamage’s plans. Hambantota 2018 has also put legacy at the heart of its bid, not only for the new city, region and country but throughout South Asia and the Commonwealth. The Games are seen as a catalyst for sport, tourism and sustainable economic, social and cultural development.

Many are drawn by the ‘island charm’ of Sri Lanka and its proud population. Six years on from the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami, the teardrop-shaped nation – once described by Sir Arthur C. Clarke, author of 2001: A Space Odyssey, as the best place in the world from which to view the universe – is on the up. Sri Lanka was ranked #1 by the New York Times in its ‘31 Places to Go’ last year and claims one of the highest figures of return visitors in the world.

The CGF is due to choose the host city at its meeting in St Kitts and Nevis on 11 November 2011. For more information on Hambantota 2018 visit: www.hambantota2018.com

ENDS

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