Hambantota, who are currently battling with the Gold Coast in Australia for the right to stage the 2018 event, showed the airport, which is currently under construction, to the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) Evaluation Commission last week when they inspected the bid from the Sri Lankan coastal city.

Construction on the $209 million (£131 million) airport began in 2009 with work expected to be completed next year, and the Commission were given a presentation by Namal Rajapaksa, the son of the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa and also the MP for the Hambantota District, on the long term plans for the airport.

He assured the Commission that construction of the airport is designed "to cause the minimum amount of disruption to the environment", while Minister of Agrarian Services and Wildlife S.M. Chandrasena stated that the elephants will be moved safely.

"Some 200 elephants will be relocated from parts of Hambantota where the massive development is expected to take place and they will be shifted to Weheragala in Monaragala situated 60 km from Hambantota," he said.


The new airport is also set to feature a Wildlife Park with elephants in it.

However, a Sri Lankan environmental group said it will strongly protest the move as shifting the elephants will affect their natural habitat.

Banduranga Kariyawasam of the Green Campaign of Sri Lanka said that environmental groups are preparing to go to court against the environmental impact being created by the construction of the airport.

However, it is highly unlikely to halt the construction plans in Hambantota which as well as the new airport, includes the new $360 million (£225 million) seaport which is already in use to service ships travelling along one of world's busiest shipping lines.

Hambantota are also building a number of sporting venues for the 2016 South Asian Games including a 40,000 capacity athletics stadium, a 7,500 capacity international aquatics centre, a 7,000 capacity hockey stadium, a 2,500 capacity exhibition centre, a 5,000 capacity main arena and a multi-sport complex.

These will all be used if the Hambantota 2018 bid for the Commonwealth Games is successful with a decision set to be voted on by the 71 Commonwealth nations on November 11 this year in St Kitts and Nevis.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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