Brisbane is a step closer to committing to a bid for the 2028 summer Olympics after a favourable study into the merit of hosting the Games in Australia's Queensland state. A year-long pre-feasibility study said southeastern Queensland had the capability to bid for and host the event and local governments will decide in weeks whether to commission a more exhaustive feasibility study, local media reported. The Gold Coast, a bustling holiday destination south of Brisbane, will host the multi-sport Commonwealth Games in 2018. "It is about the long-term benefit of infrastructure," Brisbane city mayor Graham Quirk said. "It's about the long-term tourism and investment opportunities that these type of events bring as well as out of that the long-term employment opportunities." Rio de Janeiro will host the Olympics from Aug. 5-21, with Tokyo to stage the 2020 Games. Rome, Paris, Budapest and Los Angeles are bidding for the 2024 Games, with a vote by the International Olympic Committee to decide the hosts in Sept. 2017. Bidding for 2028 kicks off in 2019. (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)
