Perth puts case

Press, 31 January 1984, Page 20

Perth puts case

NZPA staff correspondent Perth The Mayor of Perth, Western Australia, Mr Mick Michael, reckons his city has about a five-to-two chance of being allocated the 1990 Commonwealth Games ahead of the longtime contenders Auckland. He gave in an interview on Monday a string of reasons why Perth should stage the Games, and said the main factors that would count against it would be that Brisbane staged the 1982 Games, and an expected application by Kenya

which would give Africa its first Commonwealth Games. The Perth application has been dispatched, with the blessing of the Australian Commonwealth Games Association. “The application is a joint one in both the name of the city of Perth and the Games Association,” he said. Commenting on a claim by the organiser of the Auckland Games Committee, Mr Malcolm Beattie, last week that Perth did not have the backing of the Australian Games Association, Mr Michael said, “I

can refute that one pretty easily.

“The president and secretary of the association made a final inspection of the venues and the proposed new venues and were most happy, and Tuesday of last week they reiterated their total support. “When we announced our plan to make a formal application for the Games, we got the immediate and total support of the association. In fact it was most enthusiastic.”

Mr Michael was quick to