🔥 Victoria pulls out of 2026 Commonwealth Games over cost concerns 🔥 -------------------------------- ❌❌❌ Australia's state of Victoria has scrapped the 2026 Commonwealth Games due to projected cost overruns, placing the future of the quadrennial multi-sport event in doubt. ✔ Victoria Premier Dan Andrews said the cost of the Games, which were to have been held in four regional hubs, could blow out to more than A$7 billion ($4.8 billion) from a budgeted A$2.6 billion if they went ahead. ✔ "Frankly A$6-A$7 billion for a 12-day sporting event, we're not doing that," Andrews said at a media conference on Tuesday. ✔ "I will not take money out of hospitals and schools to fund an event that is three times the cost as estimated and budgeted for last year." ✔ Andrews said Victoria had yet to work out the cost of breaking its contract with the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), the global governing body. ✔ The CGF said they had eight hours' notice of the decision and were offered no consideration to work on solutions with Victoria. ✔ "This is hugely disappointing for the Commonwealth Sport Movement, for athletes ... and the Organising Committee who are well advanced in their planning and preparation," the CGF said in a statement. ✔ "We are taking advice on the options available to us." ✔ The federation said Victoria's projected cost blow-out was 50% higher than estimates given to the CGF's organising committee board last month. ✔ It also blamed the state government for jacking up the Games bill by including more sports and changing venue plans, "often against the advice" of the CGF and the local body, Commonwealth Games Australia (CGA). ✔ "The stated costs overrun, in our opinion, are a gross exaggeration," CGA Chief Executive Craig Phillips said in a separate statement. ✔ The sporting event for mostly former British colonies has struggled to remain relevant, with five of the last six editions held in Australia or Britain. ✔ English city Birmingham stepped in to host the 2022 Games after South Africa were stripped of them in 2017 over a lack of progress in preparations. ✔ Victoria put its hand up for 2026 last year when no other countries showed interest. Cre: Reuters