Without a host city Commonwealth Games Federation looks to Victoria for 2026 Games

Media reports today are suggesting that with no city having so far come forward to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games, the Commonwealth Games Federation has approached the Victorian Government about staging the event.

It has been reported that the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) has approached the Victorian Government, rather than the state making a bid, due to lack of interest in hosting the event.

However, an Australian Commonwealth Games committee spokesperson told the ABC that "a number" of cities are currently being approached about putting forward bids.

With the South African city of Durban having been stripped of the 2022 edition of the Games - and the UK city of Birmingham stepping - Melbourne and Regional Victoria is seen as a likely venue for the Games.

A collection of cities across Regional Victoria had earlier sought to stage the 2030, an initiative sidelined by the Coronavirus pandemic.

Governments in Western Australia, South Australia and NSW have already flagged they would not be proceeding with bids.

The Gold Coast already hosted the event in 2018 and will be preparing for the 2032 Olympic Games by 2026.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews today said he was not ready to make any announcements regarding the Commonwealth Games, but said the state was always keen to attract major events.

Premier Andrews advised “what you can all be certain of, and what I think Victorians know, is that the government and Visit Victoria, we're out there every day working as hard as we can to get all the big major events to come to the major events capital of our nation.”

Melbourne, which last hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2006, has existing infrastructure to support the more than 5,000 athletes and officials who attend the event, and cities like Shepparton, Ballarat and Bendigo are also home to high quality venues that would be well-suited to host events.

Bendigo Stadium Chief Executive Dennis Bice said if the Commonwealth Games were to be held in Victoria in 2026, he would be keen to have his venue host basketball competition.

Bice told the ABC "I think Bendigo is in a fortunate position [of] not only having hosted major events before, but from the stadium perspective, we have the best regional basketball facilities in Victoria.

"From a basketball perspective, we've got great training facilities outside our major basketball courts in the stadium.”

Greater Shepparton Mayor Kim O'Keeffe said the city has ‘world-class’ facilities that could host Commonwealth Games events, adding “yes, we would need some upgrades and we would need to really work out a feasibility study of how that might work.

"But it's certainly something we have discussed for a number of years."

Shepparton has hosted an array of international competitions in the past, including BMX and beach volleyball events.

Preparations for the 2026 Commonwealth Games are being made at during a challenging period for major international events due to the Coronavirus pandemic that has seen events rescheduled and/or forced to run with specatators.

Images: Bendigo Stadium (top) and the logo for the 2030 bid from Regional Victoria (below).