Kiss of life from Glasgow but not everyone will love the idea
There's life in the old dog yet. The Commonwealth Games will fight another day after Glasgow's bid to resuscitate the 2026 version paid off. In two summers time, the 23rd edition of the event will be staged on Scottish soil for the fourth time in its history.
Glasgow, of course, has been a host before. They successfully took on the Games back in 2014 and there will have been a certain element of nostalgia when riding in to rescue a competition that Victoria was quick to chuck away last year. The Australian authorities balked at the spiralling costs of hosting such an event. With nobody else prepared to act as a life-support machine for a quadrennial international event that is dwindling in popularity, Glasgow has stepped in.
This will not be an entirely well-received move. The Commonwealth Games is seen as an antiquated concept by many given its links to the British Empire, notwithstanding the fact that not all of the world's greatest athletes are able to compete. With the growth of the Diamond League, Europeanand world championships, the Games are not as prestigious in a sporting sense as they once were.
That may not be the case for Scottish athletes. The Commonwealth Games are the only international event where they are able to fly the saltire rather than the union jack. Potential gold medallists such as Josh Kerr may only get one chance to represent Scotland in their own country.
This will not be a repeat of Glasgow 2014. There will be less glitz and glamour. We will lose at least five sports and Hampden will be substituted for less salubrious surroundings of Scotstoun for athletics. It will be intriguing to see how excited the Scottish public becomes closer to the time. Earlier this week, The Scotsman tried to gauge excitement levels with a social media post, with little response. That interest could change when some worldclass athletes arrive on the country's doorstep.
Organisers have been keen to point out that the event will largely be cost-neutral. Both the Scottish and UK governments are keen to avoid a white elephant scenario. The fear is that expenditure will creep up. It often does with such events. Funding of around £100 million is coming from the Commonwealth Games Federation, while Commonwealth Games Australia is set to hand some of the settlement it received in the cancellation of the Victoria Games across to help put the Games on in Glasgow.
But one ponders the prudence of trying to stage it on a shoestring budget. The Games has had its day in the sun in Scotland before, and it is hard to envision 2026 surpassing what we witnessed before in Glasgow, even if Lord Jack Mcconnell – an integral player in bringing the Games to the city in 2014 – believes it will "spruce up" the place and allow the existing facilities to be put to good use.
There will be joy among those who are dyed-in-the-wool Commonwealth Games fans, but why does almost every other country not want to touch this event? Perhaps Scotland can paint a brighter picture for it. The concept turns 100 in 2030, with no host lined up after Canada's tentative interest went cold. But at least the event has a chance of getting a letter from the king after Glasgow's kiss of life.
The likes of Josh Kerr may only get one chance to represent Scotland in their own country