The five-person Commission, chaired by CGF honorary secretary Louise Martin of Scotland, will start their officialt four-day inspection of the Gold Coast on Monday (June 20), before visiting Hambantota from June 27-30.

The Commission will inspect all the proposed competition and principal non-competition sites and conduct a series of detailed meetings to look at all aspects of the candidature.

They will then produce a Final Evaluation report for voting delegates - which will be published in September 2011 - detailing the strengths and weaknesses of the two bids before the vote on where the 2018 Games are staged takes place at the GCF General Assembly on November 11 in St Kitts and Nevis.

"Our job is to produce a technical report that examines each city against Games requirements," explained Martin, who is also chair of Sportscotland and vice-chair of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games Organising Committee.

"It does not seek to inform CGF members about other factors which they may take into account when determining who they would prefer to host the Games.

"At the end of the day, it is the 71 nations and territories that make up the Federation that will decide which city is awarded the 2018 Games when they vote at their General Assembly in St Kitts and Nevis on November 11.

"The Evaluation Commission does not set out to make a direct comparison between the two cities, but rather we look to determine the merits or otherwise of each bid proposition and ultimately highlight any issues and risks which may arise set against Games requirements as set out within the Candidate City Manual.

"Each city has already lodged their formal bid document in Kuala Lumpur in May.

"The Evaluation Commission has studied these and completed a preliminary desktop review and this visit allows us to seek clarification on a number of issues from both Candidate Cities.

"We naturally take great care to treat all information fairly and to ensure that each city is dealt with in a balanced and equitable manner.

"We are very fortunate to have two highly committed bid organisations looking to host the Commonwealth's best athletes in 2018."


Martin is joined in the 2018 Evaluation Commission by CGF chief executive Mike Hooper (pictured), President of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) Gideon Sam, secretary general of the Barbados Olympic Association Erskine Simmonds and executive director of The Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) Andrew Ryan.

The Commission was selected early this year at in Kuala Lumpur when both cities lodged their formal bid document for the 2018 Commonwealth Games and CGF vice-president Prince Tunku Imran has predicted an exciting contest between the Gold Coast and Hambantota.

"The race for the 2018 Games presents an intriguing choice for our members," said Imran, who is set to take over from Jamaican Mike Fennell as CGF President at the end of the year.

"Each city would make a worthy host and would continue to build the international profile and brand of the Commonwealth Games as one of the most popular and enduring world-class events on the international sporting calendar.

"It is not just about what each candidate city will offer over 11 days on and off the field of play in 2018, it is also about ensuring that we continue to celebrate the diversities within the Commonwealth, making sure that sport offers our youth a chance for betterment, and it's about all stakeholders working together, with the Games as a catalyst, for a better understanding of each other and for peace."

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