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MELBOURNE has been crowned the world’s Sports City of the
Decade at the Ultimate Sports City awards in Switzerland.
Melbourne capped 10 years of sporting glory by winning the
award, beating London, New York, Tokyo, Berlin and Sydney.
It was also named the world’s best sporting city for its size and
was recognised for having the world’s best sporting venues.
But Melbourne lost its title for best major events strategy to
Auckland.
Victorian Major Events Company boardmember Eddie McGuire
said the past decade had been “a golden era’’ for Melbourne’s
sports fans, and the award cemented the city as a world leader.
Melbourne was shortlisted for awards in eight of 14 categories.
No other city in the world can lay claim to hosting world-class
tennis, horse racing, Formula One and cricket annually as
well as packing stadiums with AFL and regularly luring major
events.
Since 2006, Melbourne has hosted the Commonwealth Games,
cricket World Cup, world swimming titles and Asian Cup soccer,
and such legendary teams as Real Madrid and the All Blacks.
AUSTRALIA
MELBOURNE CROWNED WORLD ’ S SPORTS C I TY OF DECADE
Minsk will host the 2019 European Games after Belarus
President Alexander Lukashenko confirmed they were
prepared to step in following a meeting with Janez Kocijančič,
the acting President of the European Olympic Committees
(EOC).
The EOC have been searching for a host city since The
Netherlands withdrew on the eve of Baku 2015 and then
Russia dropped out of the running after the IOC warned they
would not support events there following allegations of state-
sponsored doping. But now Belarus have come forward to
ensure the event will be staged for a second time.
A total of 43 National Olympic Committees supported awarding
the 2019 European Games to Minsk, despite some privately
fearing the event could again be overshadowed by fears over
human rights.
Lukashenko has been criticised for human rights violations and
persecution of non-governmental organisations, independent
journalists, national minorities and opposition politicians.
He was denied a visa by Britain to attend the 2012 Olympic
Games in London.
BELARUS
MINSK TO HOST 2019 EUROPEAN GAMES
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