Commonwealth Games 2026

[mpjmcevoy 375]

3 hours ago, Rafa Maciel said:

I totally agree - IF and it is a big if, the games end up back in UK in 2026, it will be spread across multiple cities - although I'd probably disagree with your allocation of events, but that is largely irrelevant. But if it comes down to it and the choice is either to cancel the games or to stage them in the UK, then the powers that be will want to do everything they can to make sure that the first games under Charles III go ahead. 

 

Longer term, I think there would be a lot of push back to any attempt to fully wind up the commonwealth games, but equally I think the games in their current format are definitely on life support. However, the commonwealth games federation have been aware of the challenges for a long time and have shown they are willing to adapt and realistically, we may well get to a point where the games only comprises of swimming and athletics events.

 

With regards to the European Games, how can anyone take it seriously when it can't attract the support of the major sporting federations who it seems, would prefer to be part of the European Championships? I am sorry, but when you're reduced to including ski jumping in your schedule, you know you've got major issues with your credibility. 

I don't think you are far wrong, and I think CGF/Commonwealth Sport should prepare for that by examining, where plausible, a 'Championships' model for other sports - it may be CGF will spend as much time in organising and recognising individual championship events as in organsiing a large quadrennial Games. I note the commonwealth Weightlifting championships is taking place as we speak, and India floated a not terrible idea of a combined Archery and Shooting Championships that was knocked on the head by covid, but is not a terrible idea. The advantage not only being that individual events are easier to host, but potential hots can go for the sports they like and get decent support for...

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I would be amazed if, even if the Games disappeared, Netball did not maintain a stand alone Commonwealth Championships, ditto Bowls. Other sports could downsize or resize - for example, I reckon you could create a tight, popular 3 day track cycling event, centring on the home nations, AUS, NZl, TRD,Malaysia, SIN and CAN which would provide some value during the track season over one weekend. Likewise, even if it felt like a slightly development event, a Commonwealth Triathlon Championships would work absolutely fine, and probably be more competitive than several continental champs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[JoshMartini007 2,768]

Embracing smaller and existing venues would go a long way in preserving the games.

 

While unpopular, I do think they should make swimming optional. If a potential host city doesn't have one it is very costly to build, even compare to other venue specific sports. While most nations compete in it only a small handful actually win medals.

[Roamingrover86 863]

They need to make the whole package attractive and meaningful, which at present it is not .

CGF body needs to push back the games by a year and have it hosted a year ahead of the Olympic cycle (i.e 2027 )

That way some sports like athletics and swimming will add value as they will offer another event to achieve ESs/OQTs.

Then get other sports federations to offer ranking points for sports like Badminton , TT etc 

Only then will these meaningless games will become meaningful and perhaps survive and have appeal beyond UK.

Edited July 23, 2023 by Roamingrover86

[Olympian1010 8,235]

15 minutes ago, Roamingrover86 said:

They need to make the whole package attractive and meaningful, which at present it is not .

CGF body needs to push back the games by a year and have it hosted a year ahead of the Olympic cycle (i.e 2027 )

That way some sports like athletics and swimming will add value as they will offer another event to achieve ESs/OQTs.

Then get other sports federations to offer ranking points for sports like Badminton , TT etc 

Only then will these meaningless games will become meaningful and perhaps survive and have appeal beyond UK.

CGF isn’t really a part of the Olympic ecosystem. They kind of exist as their own thing. I think it would be difficult to offer Olympic qualification opportunities, not mention pushing it back year would leave it in conflict with world championships and other Olympic qualifiers.

[mpjmcevoy 375]

15 hours ago, Olympian1010 said:

CGF isn’t really a part of the Olympic ecosystem. They kind of exist as their own thing. I think it would be difficult to offer Olympic qualification opportunities, not mention pushing it back year would leave it in conflict with world championships and other Olympic qualifiers.

One has to remember, the commies existed in an eco system where world champions were either sporadic (swimming) or non existant (athletics) where europeans happened every 4 years, There were no European Games, no combined European Championships and almost all the competitive countries in the Olympic style sports were Commonwealth, European or the USA - in that system, Commonwealth Games were a major, and hugely useful event, arguably the third biggest swimming and athletics meets in the world.

 

Times Change. The commies has not entirely changed with them.

 

Originally one of the keys to the CWG was that there were no team sports. but times changed - in my view, rightly. Olympics have now adopted rugby sevens and hockey, two very Commonwealth Sports but Netball and Cricket still exist outside the Olympic fold. 

 

The CWG are outside the Olympic fold. That should be sold as a good thing, because not everyone is overly happy with the olympic fold at the moment - Bach, like some sort of Medieval Pope has taken the IOC in a rather dark direction on a number of issues IMHO. The CWG is its own beast - it doesn't pretend to be universal, it doesn't sell itself as that - it's a Friendly Games, a meeting of peoples with some painful histories but bright futures; it has its own story, a post colonial story (for that reason, I do wish there was a way to integrate Ireland and the US into the games, perhaps as 'observers', acknowledging the historical link without reentering the organisation.

 

in Birmingham, the swimming meat was a class meet - Any meet with AUS, CAN, NZL, ENG, SCO, RSA, SGP and JAM may not be the World Champs, but that's a quality meet. The Athletics was, as it has been for a while, a bit of a parsons egg, though it was all fun. The M1500 was awesome, as was the w800, and w10,000; and the MJavelin. The crowds were good and athletes and fans alike enjoyed it. It doesn't have to be full throttle worlds best kill and be killed -  a bit of friendly rivalry is sufficient

[Grassmarket 4,062]

For us in Britain the CWG does two things now

 

• Debut Multi Sport Games for those transitioning from the obscurity of Juniors to the spotlight of full international competition
• A way of saying thanks to all those hard-working amateur & semi-pro sportspeople who are not going to ever win the big prizes.

 

That’s good enough for me. No need for the hosts to spend a fortune to transform their cities - just do what Munich 2022 did & make sensible use of pre-existing resources.

[mpjmcevoy 375]

1 hour ago, Grassmarket said:

For us in Britain the CWG does two things now

 

• Debut Multi Sport Games for those transitioning from the obscurity of Juniors to the spotlight of full international competition
• A way of saying thanks to all those hard-working amateur & semi-pro sportspeople who are not going to ever win the big prizes.

 

That’s good enough for me. No need for the hosts to spend a fortune to transform their cities - just do what Munich 2022 did & make sensible use of pre-existing resources.

The World Games had a budget of 75$M. It's at least if not more complicated than the CWG and truth be told, sadly, nowhere near as popular.

 

How on earth you end up with a budget of 7BILLION$ when you already have a city full of venues ready to go defies me. If Anything, given its history and relative prestige, the CWG should be easy wins.

 

EDIT: Just checked, budget for Munich 2022 was 130M euro. And Munich didn't skimp. I appreciate there's no athletes village as such. Fine. don't have an athlete's village - or design one in such a way as to cover your costs by selling as housing afterwards.

 

The 7Billion figure is getting harder and harder to explain...

Edited July 23, 2023 by mpjmcevoy
further info

[Olympian1010 8,235]

1 hour ago, mpjmcevoy said:

The World Games had a budget of 75$M. It's at least if not more complicated than the CWG and truth be told, sadly, nowhere near as popular.

The World Games 2022 ultimately cost $65.1M. They came in under budget, but only generated $51M in revenue. A report commissioned by the IWGA did show the event created an economic impact of $165M for the local community, though that was less than originally expected as well.

 

Sources: https://www.al.com/news/2022/08/world-games-14-million-shortfall-we-have-every-intentionto-pay-our-vendors-says-ceo.html and https://www.wbrc.com/2022/12/20/economic-impact-report-shows-world-games-brought-165-million-dollars-lower-than-original-projections/

 

 

I do think The World Games are trending positively overall. The IWGA has forged a closer relationship with the IOC. They have a pretty good slot in terms of timing. Participation seems to be trending up as well, though politics and pandemic policies affected last years turnout. They still need to improve some aspects of course. I think some of the financial woes of last year’s event boil down to some missed opportunities by local organizers. They needed to be more aggressive with advertising, ticket initiatives, and broadcast/streaming deals (in my opinion). 

[Orangehair43 285]

Canada pull out of 2030 now so is suspect the end is coming for the Commonwealth Games. 

[nitinsanker 206]

As the Victorian Government announced that they wouldn't be hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games, the state will have to pay A$380 million as compensation to CGF.

The other terms of the agreement were kept confidential..... I did not know that you have to pay such a huge amount if you backout ....

 

 

I do not think that there is any interest for India to take up the event .... first there is a lot of anti colonial sentiment...... then there was the entire argument over dropping of key Indian sports at Birmingham... where it seemed we would boycott the games

 

What's the future .....a permanent British location ? ..... because Canada has also dropped out ? ....did they have to pay a settlement too i wonder ...