Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews axes Commonwealth Games

The Premier of Victoria Daniel Andrews has shocked the world of sport with his decision to axe the hosting of the Commonwealth Games 2026.

Andrews confirmed Victoria would not host the games after claiming the budget had blown out from an estimated $2.6 billion to more than $6 billion.

The Commonwealth Games Federation has said $6 billion was “50 per cent more than those advised to the Organising Committee board at its meeting in June”.

A statement from the federation has further said the government had increased costs of the plans against its advice.

The move to scrap the games casts doubt on the future of the sporting event as it continues to struggle to attract bidders to host in recent decades. The 2022 event was initially due to be held in Durban, South Africa but dropped out because of financial constraints, with Birmingham stepping in to host.

Victoria’s Opposition leader John Pesutto said the decision was a “massive humiliation for Victoria”.

“This decision is a betrayal of regional Victoria and confirms that Victoria is broke and Labor simply cannot manage major projects without huge cost blowouts,” he said.

Commonwealth Games Australia CEO Craig Phillips said that the Andrews government had “had jeopardised Melbourne and Victoria’s standing as a sporting capital of the world” as well as disappointing “athletes, the excited host communities, First Nations Australians who were at the heart of the Games, and the millions of fans that would have embraced a sixth home Games in Australia”.