The plan, launched more than a year ago, has attracted little support outside Tasmania and now organisers have dropped the word "Olympic" from their campaign following pressure from the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC).

Ben Waterworth, a community radio host, set-up the Hobart Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (HOCOG) to launch the bid which has attracted more than 12,000 followers on Facebook but does not have the support of the AOC, who have warned them they are breaking the law by associating unofficially themselves with the Olympics.

"In light of recent comments and concerns, the group organising this bid will no longer be referred to as the Hobart Organising Committee for the Olympic Games, but now as the Hobart Organising Group for Major Events (H.O.G.M.E)," a statement issued by officials there said.

Hobart's plans include building a new 100,000 seat stadium called the David Foster Stadium, named after Tasmania's world champion woodchopper, to host the Opening and Closing Ceremonies.


Cricketers David Boon and Ricky Ponting would also be honoured with a Boon Centre, which would host taekwondo and weightlifting, and a Ponting Dome, staging handball, judo and volleyball.

The bid's website even includes a design picture of Regina Arena, named after the Tasmanian Big Brother winner Reggie Bird, and which would be home to boxing, fencing, wrestling and modern pentathlon

Waterworth admitted that the idea started as a joke but the bid is now serious and they even plan to hold a rally on April 16 on the lawns of the Tasmania Parliament to promote it.

The Hobart 2020 website has a logo and a page offering a range of merchandise, including tee-shirts and pins.

They have been told, though, that they are wasting their time and could face the risk of being prosecuted if they continue.

"Obviously we'd love have an Olympic Games in Tasmania, but the reality is that's not possible and is never going to happen," said Richard Watson, the President of Tasmania's Olympic Council (TOC), told The Age newspaper.

"They have been supplied with all the information regarding the procotols they have to go through, and what the IOC (International Olympic Committee) and AOC requirements are, and none of them have been met.

"We are meeting with him [Waterwoth] next week to go through all of that in person...but that's not a hope in the world [of Hobart getting the Olympics].

"The AOC are not at all happy with the use of the Organising Committee for the Olympic Games, and you cannot use the name Olympics to raise money."

Waterworth admitted the fear of legal action had prompted the name change but also reflected the group's future ambitions.

"The re-branding of the group has been done to not only avoid the apparent breaching of copyright but also to create the future possibilities of other major events to be sought after by the group," he said. 

"Obviously it is disappointing to have to change our name after getting as far as we have come with it without having any issues but we are in it for the long haul and hope to be at the forefront of attracting major events to Hobart for a long time yet.

"The comments by Tasmanian Olympic Council President Richard Watson did come as a surprise to us as we have yet to receive any official complaints by either the TOC or AOC in regards to our name, however to avoid potential future problems we feel that changing our name is the best option in that regards.

"We're not giving up on it," he said.

"Hobart is an undiscovered gem in regard to future event hosting capabilities, and we'll have a go at the 2022 Youth Olympics if we don't get the support for 2020."

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