Govt. paid US$ 2.4mln for PR

18 May 2011 10:00 pm

The government has paid US$2.4 million to a British firm hired to promote its bid to host the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Hambantota, Daily Mirror learns.

The Hambantota 2018 Candidate City Organizing Committee appointed last year ‘pmplegacy’ which is an arm of the Sports Marketing Division of Chime Communications in Britain as the lead advisor and project manager for Sri Lanka’s bid.

Sources close to the Committee said the initial payment of US$2.4 million was paid some three weeks ago to have the necessary documents prepared. Sri Lanka submitted its bid in Malaysia.

According to a media release posted on the company’s website, pmplegacy has a long and distinguished 25-year year track record of working with leading cities around the world on the evaluating, bidding, planning and delivering of major sporting events.

The company, founded and chaired by Peter Mann, has worked on a wide range of major events including Olympic and Paralympics Games; Youth Olympic Games; Asian and Commonwealth Games and Cricket, Football and Rugby World Cups.

Its clients include World Cup Barbados 2007; Beijing 2008; African Cup of Nations 2008; Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games; London 2012; Glasgow 2014; Madrid 2016 and most recently, England’s 2018 FIFA World Cup bid.

Meanwhile Sri Lanka has also hired three other such firms to boost its image in the eyes of the international community, and had paid millions of dollars to them as well. (Kelum Bandara)