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Swimming-Melbourne organisers defend hosting of championships

MELBOURNE, March 14 (Reuters) - Organisers of the world swimming championships have defended the decision to stage the event after a former premier of the host state described the project as "money down the pool".

Former Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett said the city had bid for the biennial event for the sake of it and would attract little interest despite the prospects of considerable Australian success in the pool at Rod Laver Arena. "Although it is the top event in swimming it is not the event that is going to attract great support in this country," Kennett told a Melbourne radio station on Wednesday.

The event did not have the popular appeal of other annual major sporting events held in the city such as this weekend's Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park and the Australian Open tennis tournament, he added.

"I wouldn't have spent $35 million on a swimming event without using the current infrastructure we have," he said, commenting on the decision to build the world's largest temporary pool inside Rod Laver Arena.

"You've got to when you pursue these events ask yourself 'What is the reason we want it?' (It's) money down the pool," he said, adding that organisers would sell tickets on the cheap or give them away to attract spectators.

But incumbent Premier Steve Bracks, who succeeded Kennett in 1999, said ticket sales were on target and expected the championships to at least break even.

"The world swimming championships are among the top four to five events in the world," Bracks said.

"It's one billion people who'll see the event. It brings enormous audience reach, enormous profile. Things that other countries crave to get, that other states crave to get."

He said 102,000 tickets had been sold already and hoped that figure would double before the opening ceremony on March 17.

The 12th FINA world championships run until April 1.