The organization of world-class sporting events has been a constant commitment of Colombia, in different governments, as initiatives to promote tourism, project the country’s image internationally, and also to generate enthusiasm among Colombians.
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Now, President Iván Duque himself announced that steps are being taken so that Barranquilla receives a valid Formula One, the main category of world motorsports.
It seems like a crazy idea, but the president himself guaranteed his support for the initiative. Furthermore, it is not the first time that Colombia has aspired to host major events.
The ambitious requests
Others have been the proposals that the different governments have made and that have finally not materialized.
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Already in 2021 the country gave up organizing the men’s Copa América, in the midst of the covid-19 crisis that coincided with the social demonstrations. The Cup was finally made in Brazil.
In this government, Colombia also aspired to host the 2023 Women’s World Cup, but in 2020 it lost the election to Australia and New Zealand, which will organize the event. According to data published by FIFA at the time, Colombia lost by a vote of 22 to 13.
And there is more: in 2019, President Duque surprised when he announced that the country welcomed the proposal of the president of Ecuador, Lenín Moreno, for the two nations, together with Peru, to launch the candidacy to organize the 2030 World Cup.
“I have given the instruction to Dr. Ernesto Lucena (then Minister of Sports) so that with the Minister of Sports in Ecuador and his counterparts in Peru, we formalize that request, so that Colombia, with the Andean countries, make that proposal and be venues for the 2030 World Cup,” the president said on that occasion.
They wanted the 2014 World Cup
There is more background. In 2006, in the presidency of Alvaro Uribe, the government applied to the country to organize the 2014 World Cup, which was finally held in Brazil.
At that time, Uribe announced from Cartagena, at the opening of the Central American and Caribbean Games, his intention to host the World Cup.
In 2007, Uribe himself asked for respect from the FIFA president at the time, Sepp Blatter, who had rejected the Colombian option.
(Also read: The great sporting events that Barranquilla has organized)
Hosting one of the so-called ‘great’ events in world sport is a challenge that requires a lot of investment.
According to Russian government authorities, the 2018 World Cup cost the host US$14 billion, including an unplanned outlay of 19.1 billion rubles ($325 million) in total spending.
What was achieved
This 2022 Colombia will have the challenge of organizing the women’s Copa América, an event that will be held in the middle of the year and that implies a great challenge from the organizational and logistical point of view.
And the Colombian Football Federation is one of the five candidates to host the next 2023 Beach Soccer World Cup.
At the soccer level, there are two events that have been successful for the country: the 2001 Copa América, which the host won, and the U-20 Soccer World Cup, held in 2011, and which was a litmus test passed against the FIFA.
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