Townsville will host some of the world’s most famous athletes as part of the Brisbane 2032 Olympics. Here’s the details.
News Townsville will host soccer events comes as the organising committee plans a trip to northern city.
The Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games Organising Committee will on Tuesday announce it will hold its next board meeting in Townsville as part of a plan to bring the Games to all corners of the state.
The announcement ends years of speculation about how Townsville would fit into the 2032 Olympics, including previous rumours about a push for rugby sevens to be held at Queensland Country Bank Stadium.
The Olympics will not be Townsville residents’ first brush with football – Aston Villa played the Brisbane Roar at Queensland Country Bank Stadium in July 2022, and the Matildas took on New Zealand at the same venue in April last year.
Sam Kerr #2 of Team Australia competes for a header with Becky Sauerbrunn #4 of Team United States during the Women’s Bronze Medal match between United States and Australia on day 13 of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Kashima Stadium on August 05, 2021 in Kashima, Japan. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
As part of the organising committee’s visit, they will tour sporting venues, meet with industry representatives, and celebrate the Games with young aspiring athletes and para-athletes.
The committee will also host an Olympics Unleashed session, taking Olympians and aspiring Olympians into schools to inspire and motivate students.
Townsville, the Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, Redland, Ipswich, Toowoomba, Moreton Bay, Cairns and the Scenic Rim have all been named as co-hosts of the Olympics with Brisbane.
Joe Knowles of the Roar and Tyrone Mings of Aston Villa compete for the ball during the 2022 Queensland Champions Cup match between Aston Villa and Brisbane Roar at Queensland Country Bank Stadium on July 20, 2022 in Townsville. (Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)
Organising committee president Andrew Liveris said the International Olympic and Paralympic Committees had entrusted the Brisbane group with a new model of delivery.
“This will provide greater opportunity to spread the social and economic benefits of the Games,” Mr Liveris said.
“More businesses will get contracts, more volunteers can participate, more children and families can be in the stadium to watch the best athletes in the world compete.”
Queensland Premier and Olympic and Paralympic Games Minister Annastacia Palaszczuk said the 2032 Olympics would be the first regional Games.
“Townsville is one of 10 Queensland cities and towns hosting Games events, so it is fitting that the Organising Committee Board meets here,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
Sam Kerr takes selfies with fans after her team’s victory during the International Women’s match between the Australia Matildas and the New Zealand Football Ferns at Queensland Country Bank Stadium on April 08, 2022 in Townsville. (Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)
“Once an Olympic and Paralympic host, always an Olympic and Paralympic host, which gives Townsville great advantages in attracting new investment and tourism which we are keen to explore over the next nine years and the decades to come.”
Australian Olympic Committee president Ian Chesterman said cities like Townsville had been important for Olympic sports, having produced talent like Libby Trickett and Nat Cook.
“Sport in turn provides that important fabric that helps our regions thrive,” Mr Chesterman said.
“I am looking forward to seeing our Olympics Unleashed program delivered in Townsville.
“It’s so important that kids can hear first-hand from Olympians to equip them with those critical life skills.”
Paralympics Australia president Jock O’Callaghan said the Games would provide a platform to build and deliver an equitable, inclusive and sustainable society for generations to come.
“Billions of people will be watching how Queensland and Australia drive positive social change, greater representation and more participation opportunities for people, including those with a disability through the power of sport,” Mr O’Callaghan said.
“Since Sydney 2000, the success of host cities has been largely determined by the level of delivery of Paralympic Games. London in 2012 is widely regarded as the best Paralympic Games ever. Brisbane 2032 now has that opportunity.”
Loading embed…