But the future of the Games was thrown into doubt on Thursday when the province of Alberta withdrew its support for a bid, dealing another blow to the embattled Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF). Victoria withdrew due to projected cost overruns, with Commonwealth Sport Canada saying it believed the Australian state's decision had prompted Alberta's pullout. The expense to host a Commonwealth Games in any country is significant," Cary Kaplan, president of Canadian marketing firm Cosmos Sports & Entertainment, told Reuters. MARKET DISPARITYDespite the disparity, Payne said the Commonwealth Games could not be written off. "That will in turn erode the relevance of the Games unless the Commonwealth Games steps up its marketing and branding efforts in the years ahead.

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Persons: Matthew Klugman, Victoria, Alberta's pullout, Cary Kaplan, Klugman, Michael Payne, Payne, Kaplan, Queen Elizabeth, Rich, Karolos Grohmann, Aadi Nair, Ed Osmond Organizations: Commonwealth, Commonwealth Games Federation, Victoria, Games, Reuters, Commonwealth Sport Canada, Commonwealth Games, Cosmos Sports & Entertainment, European, Birmingham Commonwealth Games, Paris Olympics, Olympic Committee, Olympic, Birmingham, Thomson Locations: Canada, Alberta, Hamilton , Ontario, COVID, Australia, Great Britain, Britain