HOST CITY CONTRACT
NEW HOSTS NEEDED
The absence of both China and Russia as suitable hosts for sporting events in the foreseeable future leaves a massive void for organisers, and significant knock-on effects. But it could also be a chance for new venues to stake their claim, as David Owen reports.
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emove two big players from any market and the consequences will be far-reaching. This applies whether you are talking about widgets or reinsurance. It certainly applies to the market for the hosting of major international sports events, which is the subject of this article. The disappearance from the ranks of possible hosts of Russia and China - two countries which have staged scores of events, including a FIFA World Cup, three Olympic Games and World Championships galore, since the turn of the millennium - is already having a big impact on International Federations and other event owners.
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The two situations are, of course, different. Russia’s exclusion, as a consequence of the war it has unleashed on Ukraine, is likely to be long-term. China’s absence, while it battles COVID, may be less so. For the time being, though, event-owners are having to get along without both of these sports-hosting giants, and the financial knock-on effects may be profound. You might think that with more than 200 countries in the world, along with scores of ambitious cities keen to lift their international profiles, there would be plenty of candidates to fill an admittedly large hole.
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