Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Netball Australia is quietly optimistic the sport has done enough to earn a place at the 2032 Brisbane Olympics off the back of this year’s Commonwealth Games.
The Diamonds were consigned to a bittersweet bronze medal in Glasgow, but netball claimed the ‘most-attended sport’ mantle.
Netball Australia (NA) chief executive Mark Falvo says the sport’s governing bodies are hopeful the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will make its decision by the end of the year.
NA has been leading the push for the sport’s Olympic debut since 2021, backed by World Netball and Netball New Zealand.
The bid includes a men’s competition in the 2032 Games program, but hasn’t settled on the number of teams in the tournament.
Netball was backed to be a big-ticket item when Glasgow organisers opted to stage the entire tournament at the Hydro, the venue for the opening and closing ceremonies which has previously hosted pop superstars Taylor Swift and Beyonce.
A Commonwealth Games sport since 1998, netball delivered in spades.
The 12-team competition in Glasgow was played in front of raucous crowds to be the most-attended sport ahead of athletics and swimming, pulling 10,000-plus crowds alongside some 6.6 million TikTok views.
Jamaica’s semi-final defeat of Australia, one of the biggest upsets in the sport’s history, and ensuing jubilant celebrations made headlines around the world.
“I’m hopeful, definitely,” Falvo told AAP about the sport’s Olympic bid.
“I don’t think we could’ve put forward a stronger case than what we have.
“The sport is most played by women and girls in Australia, with a growing international following, played in 120 countries around the world.
“Countries from all regions on Earth would be competing. You have a huge community and volunteer base that would be attracted to the Olympics.
“For all those reasons, we can say that our case is strong.”
Falvo added Glasgow proved netball would “sell a lot of tickets”.
“The IOC’s come out and said that their preference would be for the decision to be taken before the end of the year,” he said.
“But it could also creep into very early next year, so we’re waiting with bated breath.
“Let’s see how it pans out, but there’s not any stone that we haven’t turned over.”
NA launched a petition for the Olympics bidding process in September last year, hoping to use momentum around the Commonwealth Games and next year’s 16-team World Cup.
Falvo, who is also the chief operating officer of the World Cup organising committee, argued Jamaica’s upset of Australia proved the quality of international netball is on an upward trajectory towards 2032.
“We’re at a stage where really anyone, especially in the top four, can beat anyone,” Falvo said.
“Doesn’t feel so great for Australians right now, but just that semi-final was a great advertisement for what the game is.
“Anyone who watched that game would think, ‘what an amazing game’.”
Jamaica weren’t the only stand-out netball stories in Glasgow, with Tonga making their Games debut after the Pacific nation began building their team from scratch in 2014.
