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Glasgow praised for saving Commonwealth Games as baton passes to Amdavad
🇬🇧 United Kingdom /Sports

Glasgow praised for saving Commonwealth Games as baton passes to Amdavad

From BBC News · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • Glasgow has been praised for stepping in to host the Commonwealth Games after the original hosts withdrew.
  • The scaled-back event is credited with saving and reinventing the Games, ensuring its future.
  • The Commonwealth flag was passed to Amdavad, India, which will host the centenary Games in 2030.

Glasgow has been lauded for its pivotal role in saving and reinventing the Commonwealth Games, stepping in to host the event after the Australian state of Victoria withdrew due to escalating costs. Phil Batty, the chief executive of Glasgow 2026, stated that the city's decision to host the Games for a second time in 12 years was unforgettable and has set a precedent for future events. He believes the sustainable, scaled-back approach taken by Glasgow will inspire more nations to host and make the Games accessible to all nations within the next century.

We have created a Games here that will inspire more nations to host but, probably more importantly, that every nation feels it could host at some point in the next 100 years.

— Phil BattyPhil Batty, chief executive of Glasgow 2026, reflecting on the legacy of the Games.

The 11-day sporting festival concluded with a closing ceremony featuring a fireworks display over the River Clyde and a performance by Simple Minds. The event was described as being "on life support" before Glasgow's intervention. Batty emphasized that Glasgow not only saved the Commonwealth Games but also reinvented it by reformatting sports for the future, aiming to give the movement purpose and vision for longevity.

I don't think we can underestimate that the future of the Commonwealth Games was in jeopardy. Glasgow saved the Commonwealth Games but it also reinvented the Commonwealth Games.

— Phil BattyPhil Batty explaining the significance of Glasgow's hosting role.

Batty further highlighted that the Games were "hosted by the few and not the many" for too long. He sees Glasgow's efforts as a crucial moment for the movement to become a truly Commonwealth-wide global sporting competition. He expressed that Glasgow and Scotland should be immensely proud of their achievement and its implications for the entire Commonwealth in the coming decades. The Commonwealth flag was ceremonially handed over to Amdavad, India, the host city for the centenary event in 2030.

It isn't about saving something to preserve it. It is about reinventing something to give it the purpose and vision it needs to last.

— Phil BattyPhil Batty on the reinvention aspect of the Games.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by BBC News. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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