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Reuters

Agence France-Presse

Australia hopes its support for a scaled-back Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2026 will “reset” the multi-sport event’s brand and entice more nations into hosting.
The Scottish government has backed Glasgow’s bid for the Games, which were originally to be hosted by Australia’s Victoria state before it pulled out citing cost concerns.
Commonwealth Games Scotland (CGS) announced in April it had developed a “cost-effective” plan to stage the Games in Glasgow and Scottish health secretary Neil Gray said on Tuesday: “I was pleased to write to Commonwealth Games Scotland today to inform them that the Scottish Government will give its support for the proposal.”
Gray said the government had conducted a “thorough assessment” of the CGS scheme, which is set to see the Games returning to 2014 hosts Glasgow.


He added it would “help to support a new future for the Commonwealth Games and deliver economic and sporting opportunity for Scotland”.
Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) president Chris Jenkins welcomed Tuesday’s announcement, which paves the way for a fourth Games in Scotland, with Edinburgh having staged the 1970 and 1986 editions.
Glasgow’s proposal includes competition for 10 sports at four different venues, 12 years after the Scottish city had 18 sports at the 2014 Games.
The costs will be almost entirely funded by compensation paid to the global Commonwealth Games Federation by Victoria.
Commonwealth Games Australia (CGA) has further agreed to kick in £2.3 million (US$3.03 million) to help cover Glasgow’s security costs.
While Glasgow is yet to be officially confirmed, CGA boss Craig Phillips is confident it will go ahead and that the Games have a future beyond 2026.
“I’m not concerned about that at all,” he told reporters in Melbourne on Wednesday.
“I think this is a reset for the Games.

Ben Houston, has announced that CGA are committed to a multi-million pound investment that will support making Glasgow 2026 a reality.
“Now is not the time to walk away from a Games that has inspired for generations."
MORE: https://t.co/lDCF91qHxD pic.twitter.com/VXok4D72Hu
— Commonwealth Games Australia (@CommGamesAUS) September 14, 2024

“I’m very optimistic about the future of the Games and we will get to our centenary Games in 2030. Where it is in the Commonwealth, I don’t know.
“What we’ll see with this revised version of the Games, a more sustainable version, it will actually create more opportunities for more countries in the Commonwealth to actually host the Games.”
Australia has long been one of the Games’ greatest champions but no other state offered to step in to host 2026 when Victoria pulled out.
In March, Malaysia rejected an offer to hold them because of time constraints, costs and an insufficient offer of funding in another setback.
Recent Commonwealth Games have suffered from a lack of world-class talent, with top athletes often electing to skip them.
Australian athletes are generally enthusiastic, though, with the country topping the medal table at the last Games in Birmingham in 2022 and on the Gold Coast in 2018.

Phillips said Australia’s national athletics and swimming federations had already thrown their support behind Glasgow for the only two sports confirmed in the proposal to date.
“Both have backed in athletes going to the Games,” he said.
“We know how important it is to our swimmers and we know how important it is to our track and field athletes.
“We know they’ll turn up in force, Australian athletes always do.”
The Commonwealth Games, held every four years, evolved out of the British Empire Games and is still made up mainly of countries once subject to British imperial rule.
Its relevance, in an age where regional events such as Asian or European championships have assumed greater importance, has long been questioned.
But its supporters argue it gives athletes valuable experience of a multi-sport event, leaving them better prepared to compete at a pinnacle event such as the Olympic Games.


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Commonwealth Games

Usain Bolt (centre) leads Jamaica to victory in 4x100m relay at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Athletics and swimming are the only two sports guaranteed to be held in 2026. Photo: AFP

Australian singer Vanessa Amorosi performs at the Birmingham 2022 closing ceremony. Photo: Reuters

The Commonwealth Games Federation said it was “excited by the early concepts, which aim to reset and reframe the Games”. Photo: AP

Birmingham in the UK hosted the last four-yearly Commonwealth Games in 2022. Photo: Reuters

Daniel Andrews, then premier of Victoria, said the costs of hosting might balloon to £3.6 billion. Photo: AP

Singapore rules out hosting Commonwealth Games, raises fresh doubts over future of multi-sport event

(FILES) Silver medallists Asha Philip, Imani Lansiquot, Bianca Williams and Daryll Neita celebrate after the women’s 4x100m relay final at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Photo: AFP

Malaysia rejects offer to host 2026 Commonwealth Games over cost

Fireworks erupt over the Alexander Stadium during the closing ceremony for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, Britain. Photo: AFP

Scrapping Commonwealth Games cost Victoria US$384.4 million, exaggerated financial hit, Australian state’s auditor says

The auditor’s report said then-premier Dan Andrews overstated the cost of hosting the Commonwealth Games when he announced Victoria’s withdrawal last July. Photo: AP 

The report said the abandoned Games had cost Victoria A$589 million ‘with no discernible benefit’. Photo: AP

England’s Adam Peaty wins the 50-metre breaststroke at the 2022 Games. Photo: EPA-EFE

Sport

Other Sport

The Scottish government has backed Glasgow’s bid, which proposes hosting 10 sports, compared with the 18 when the city was last host in 2014


The Scottish government has backed Glasgow’s bid, which proposes hosting 10 sports, compared with the 18 when the city was last host in 2014.
