Commonwealth Games still ‘where champions are made’, president says, despite fewer sports
Slimmed down version of multi-sport event starts in Glasgow on Thursday, but Commonwealth Sport president says future is bright
The Commonwealth Games remain a stage “where champions are made”, the multi-sport event’s top official said on the eve of a slimmed down version in Glasgow.
A 10-sport and six para-sport event – down from a 19-sport and eight para-sport programme four years ago in Birmingham – begins on Thursday with King Charles set to attend the opening ceremony and declare the Games open.
The Games were plunged into crisis when the Australian state of Victoria withdrew as hosts in July 2023, citing rising costs.
Glasgow also played host 12 years ago and was therefore in a position to offer the solution of a condensed format using existing venues to minimise taxpayer costs.
“We had that dark cloud over us in terms of having no Games, but Glasgow stepped in. Scotland the brave as we say,” Dr Donald Rukare, the president of Commonwealth Sport, said.
First held 96 years ago, the Commonwealth Games evolved out of the British Empire Games and now comprises 74 nations and territories, mainly countries that were once subject to British imperial rule.