MELBOURNE (Reuters) - The government of the Australian state of Victoria overstated the costs of staging the 2026 Commonwealth Games when it pulled out of hosting the multi-sports event last year, the state's auditor-general said in a report on Wednesday.

Then state Premier Dan Andrews said last year that the cost of the Games, which were to have been held in four regional hubs, could blow out to nearly A$7 billion ($4.57 billion) from a budgeted A$2.6 billion if they went ahead.