THE news that Halifax had dropped out of the race to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games was not entirely unexpected. We reported last week that the bid was about to implode amid internal tensions between the local council, the provincial government of Nova Scotia and the Canadian government.
With surprising rapidity - Halifax councillors were on their way to a meeting when they learned by e-mailed press release of the collapse of the bid - the Canadian city's ambitious project was cancelled, with more than $7 million already spent. But w
ith the budget soaring from an estimated $785m to an anticipated $1.7 billion, the cash-strapped city and province had little choice but to pull out as the federal government was not prepared to make up the billion dollar difference.
So where does the Halifax pull-out leave Glasgow? Bang on course and steady as she goes, according to Derek Casey, the Glasgow 2014 chief executive, who is travelling the globe putting the city's case to the sporting bodies who will make the final decision in November.
Speaking from Delhi in India last night, Casey revealed that the Glasgow bid's ambassadorial team had now made presentations to 45 of the 71 voting countries, finishing off the Asian region yesterday. Positive responses have been the order of the day, and Glasgow's final bid - to be submitted to the Commonwealth Games Federation in London by May 9 - is going to be coloured by what the team has learned on its international travels.
"We have been extremely open and transparent with the various communities in the countries we have visited," said Casey. "This is the first time a bidding city has openly put itself out there in front of the sports' administrators across the Commonwealth.
"We have learned things as we have gone along and it's fair to say the information we have gathered will inform our final bid."
With Halifax out, attention has turned to the only other rival, the city of Abuja in Nigeria. Purpose-built as the federal capital, Abuja is a young city, just 30 years old and well-equipped for sport and crammed with hi-tech broadcasting facilities.
Yet Abuja's approach to bidding is curiously old-fashioned. The Games have never been held in Africa "so it's our turn", just about sums up their theme. There is sympathy in Glasgow for that African case, though there is no question of a deal being done to back African countries in future if they support Glasgow now.
Instead, Casey and his team are convinced that promoting Glasgow's strengths - 70% of the infrastructure in place, unanimous political and popular support, and an athlete-friendly approach - directly to the voting countries is the way forward.
"We see no reason to change our tactics now," said Casey. "But we know we are still in a bidding contest, albeit the chances of winning are now changed from 33% to 50%."
Abuja's approach contrasts strongly with Glasgow. They have concentrated on a publicity-driven campaign, and have yet to travel outside Africa to promote their bid. Yet barely a word has registered in the media outside Africa, which only has 18 of the 71 voting countries - Zimbabwe is presently persona non grata in Commonwealth circles.
And within the past few days, evidence has emerged of problems within Abuja's bidding group, following a visit by the Glasgow bid team to Nigeria to canvass support for the Scottish bid - a piece of audacity which had some of the Abuja bid team openly admiring Scottish chutzpah.
The respected Daily Champion newspaper reported that the bidding committee was being hampered by a lack of funds - strange, given that the bid was initiated by Nigeria's President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and the bidding committee is led by the former head of state, General Yakubu Gowon.
The Daily Champion reported on an anonymous member of the committee's complaint that "non-release of funds has been the major setback for the committee". The source said: "It baffles me when we said the President is serious about hosting the Commonwealth Games and yet no financial commitment has been made to the committee.
"Can you see what Scotland brought to us? They came to solicit for our support when they knew we are also bidding. That means your enemy is taking the battle to your doorstep.
"The National Sports Commission and the Federal Government should start making things happen and stop watching our enemies eating on our head."
The Abuja bid's publicity chairman Mitchell Obi denied that federal funds had been withheld, but confirmed that Abuja has yet to directly promote itself outside of Africa, though it has already received strong sporting and political support from that continent: "We have been in talks with the African Olympic Committee and we are happy with their support."
Obi revealed that the Glasgow team's visit to Nigeria may even have helped the Abuja committee to alter their bid: "It was a very, very good presentation - we had a good time examining their bid."
But Nigeria as a country faces one massive problem in the next few weeks when the largest democracy in Africa goes to the polls amid constant reports of corruption and intimidation in government.
Outgoing President Obasanjo has had a long-running feud - including several court cases - with current candidate Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, who was once sacked by Obasanjo while on holiday. Obasanjo and his People's Democratic Party favour Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, Governor of Katsina state, but he has been in ill-health and was recently flown to Germany for treatment.
The fear among many Western observers - especially in the USA - is that unless the elections are free and fair and there is an orderly transfer of power to whoever wins, Nigeria could once again be plunged into turmoil and the army would intervene as they have done frequently since the country became a federal republic in 1963, three years after independence from Britain was declared.
Nigeria also has serious problems with a range of terrorists who often target the oil-producing regions, though these are far from Abuja. But the possibility of a changing political situation should not harm Abuja's case, says the bid committee.
"Nigerians have supported the bid from the beginning and there is no doubt that there will be a continuation of that support because it comes from the people," said Obi.
In one respect, Abuja's bid is similar to Glasgow. Both have chosen almost the same 17 sports for their event, the only difference being that the Nigerians favour basketball while Glasgow has opted for the triathlon.
In November we will discover whether Abuja's bid is a beauty or a basket case and whether Glasgow's long-distance haul has triumphed.
