|
2018 World Cup in our grasp, says Lowy
Sebastian Hassett
NEVER one to shirk a challenge, Football Federation Australia chairman
Frank Lowy says the real work of winning the hosting rights for the 2018
World Cup starts now, after the Federal Government yesterday announced
it would chip in $45.6 million towards the bid.
Australia faces an enormous challenge to fend off competition from nations
such as England, Russia, Spain and the US, but Lowy has long maintained
an unshakeable confidence that Australia has the necessary ingredients
to stage perhaps the world's biggest sporting event.
Ultimately, winning the bid comes down to the simple equation of convincing
13 of the 24 members of the FIFA executive by the time of the governing
body's vote, which must be made before June 2011. Among the myriad obstacles
Australia must negotiate in order to trump its rivals - which could rise
to 10 by the end of next year, when expressions of interest for hosting
must be lodged - the likely biggest is that it would mark the third successive
event staged outside Europe, with South Africa due to play host in 2010
and then Brazil four years later.
Some critics, including FIFA president Sepp Blatter, have urged Australia
to train its sights on hosting the 2022 tournament, but Lowy says 2018
is a realistic goal and praised the Government for its sizeable financial
contribution, which will be drip-fed into FFA's bid team until 2011.
"I am most delighted that the Government has granted us this sum
to make the bid possible," Lowy said at the announcement by Sydney
Harbour yesterday.
"I can assure you and everybody else that this money will be spent
wisely.
"It will not be spent on entertainment and lunches and dinners, but
it will be used for professional services that we will hire in Australia
and overseas to make sure that we have the best possible bid. All we need
to do now is get 13 of the 24 votes.
"It's easier said than done. I can assure you we'll do the utmost
to get it done and I hope that when the time comes, we'll be able to celebrate."
Lowy said it was no time for doubting types to undermine the potential
of the bid, insisting Australia has made large strides on the football
field in recent years in addition to an impeccable record with major events.
"In the last few years, the progress that has been made in football
has also made a big impact on the world and I think we have the sympathies
of the executive of FIFA and generally in the football world," Lowy
said. "I'd like to ask some of the sceptics : this is not the time
to be sceptical. This is a time to move forward, to give us confidence
that the whole of Australia is behind us. Because this is not about football.
This is about Australia.
"Of course : Australia can do and will do this job if it gets the
chance properly. We've had two Olympics, two rugby world cups and I think
we stand very well. Australia's strength in this field in unquestionable."
Elaborating on what "professional services" referred to, Lowy
said it related to recruiting people "who have the knowledge, experience
and track record in putting a bid like that together".
"I'm talking about management consultants and people who have experience
in putting this together in bids to FIFA and from other organisations."
Questioned about why the Government was happy to part with such a sizeable
sum, Sports Minister Kate Ellis defended the final figure as a justifiable
outlay.
"The figure of $45.6 million wasn't plucked out of thin air,"
she said. "While it's a significant amount of money, we're confident
it's the right amount to ensure that we can do the infrastructure planning,
put in place the staff members required to work on the bid and that we
have the funds for the logistics required to give Australia every chance
of success in hosting this huge, worldwide sporting event."
Lowy said it was far greater than an elaborate handout.
"This discussion has been going on for a year or so and this is an
investment that the Government is making and we know how [difficult] the
task will be. But just imagine it comes to 2018 and we say, 'If we had
have only spent that $45 million, maybe we could have had that game,"'
he said.
smh.com.au,
December 11, 2008
|
|
