Cabraal, the Governor of Sri Lanka's Central Bank, was appointed as chairman of the Bid Committee by the country's President Mahinda Rajapaksa last month. 

Cabraal is widely credited with being behind Sri Lanka's recent economic success.

Under him, Sri Lanka's GDP has doubled, unemployment has been substantially brought down and poverty reduced.

Hambantota, which is located in the south of the island 129 miles from Sri Lanka's capital Colombo, is the focus of much of the country's economic development. 

Cabraal claimed that being awarded the Games ahead of rivals the Gold Coast would help accelerate the plans to rebuild Hambantota, which was devastated in the 2004 tsunami.

"It sits well in that mega plan to host a Games of this nature because that will give us additional focus to move forward with a timeline," Cabraal told insidethegames in an exclusive interview.

"In mega projects you can sometimes be very dedicated to a certain cause but unless you do have a really good timeline you don't really get going.

"It's like a wedding - it's only when we you fix a date that everybody starts working towards that. Until that you just drift along."

Cabraal estimates that they will need to build between 14 and 17 new facilities at a cost of between $3 to $5 billion (£2 to £3 billion) if they are chosen to host the event by the Commonwealth Games Federation at its annual meeting in St Kitts and Nevis on November 11, 2011. 

"I need to sit down and see some solid stuff on the ground with proper structures which have to be translated into dollars and cents," Cabraal said.

"Then I will get a proper picture.

"We are looking at a business model that will support whatever the cost is going to be.

"My job is to see that happening.

"When something needs to be done you have got to find the ways and means of financing it in the best manner.

"I think one of the reasons why the President may have selected me to head this bid is he is showing that business part of it is important as well.

"We have to deliver a Games that will not only be a great Games but also at the same time ensure there is a legacy, a cost benefit that has been thought through, that also is not going to hamper our economic freedom for the future.

"All those are factors I will certainly be giving plenty of thought to and making sure we have the right mix and the right balance to see that we can deliver and at the same time not cripple ourselves in the process and that it is going to be value for us.

"That's the challenge.

"My job is to see that value is created and that it is created at the right price.

"I'm confident that we can that."

To read the full interview with Cabraal click here.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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