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≡ GLASGOW 2026 ≡
“The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) is pleased to officially confirm Glasgow as the host city of the 2026 Commonwealth Games.”
That’s the understatement of the year for the CGF, as it now has a host for the XXIII Commonwealth Games, after the Australian state of Victoria pulled out in 2023, and paid A$380 million (about $254 million U.S. today) in damages.
But the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow will look significantly different from recent versions of the event: smaller and much less costly. Per Tuesday’s announcement:
● Glasgow 2026 will have only 10 sports across just four venues, compared to 20 sports at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham (ENG) and 17 at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.
● About 3,000 athletes are expected, compared to 5,054 in 2022 and 4,947 in 2014. Teams will be housed in hotels; no athlete village will be created.
● “Para sport will once again be fully integrated as a key priority and point of difference for the Games, with six Para sports included on the sport programme.”
The 10 sports for 2026:
● Athletics and Para Athletics (required)
● Swimming and Para Swimming (required)
● Basketball: 3×3 and Wheelchair 3×3
● Bowls and Para Bowls
● Boxing
● Cycling: Track and Para Track
● Gymnastics: Artistic
● Judo
● Netball
● Weightlifting and Para Powerlifting
The total budget for the Games is projected at £140 million (~$181.7 million U.S.), with 71% coming from what Victoria paid to get out of staging the 2026 Games.
The sports that were held in 2022 but will not be held in 2026 include:
● Aquatics: Diving
● Badminton
● Beach Volleyball
● Cricket
● Cycling: Mountain Bike and Road
● Field Hockey
● Rugby Sevens
● Squash
● Table Tennis
● Triathlon
● Wrestling
The response of the International Table Tennis Federation was typical of those sports left off of the program:
“The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) expresses profound disappointment regarding the non-inclusion of Table tennis and Para table tennis in the sports programme announced today by the Commonwealth Games Federation and Commonwealth Games Scotland for the 2026 Commonwealth Games. …
“While we acknowledge the challenges facing Glasgow 2026 and support efforts to create an innovative, cost-effective, and sustainable event model, we find the exclusion of Table tennis and Para table tennis perplexing. Our sport has consistently demonstrated unparalleled adaptability, successfully delivering events across diverse venues and temporary facilities under various inclusive competition formats. We firmly believe our sport was ideally positioned to help the organisers achieve their objectives.”
But this is about the survival of the Commonwealth Games. Commonwealth Games Foundation chief executive Katie Sadleir (NZL) explained it this way to BBC Radio 5 Live:
“This Games is about the resetting and reframing of the Games for the future.
“We want to create a sustainable model that can go around the Commonwealth because the Commonwealth members love the Commonwealth Games and we want to take it there as well.”
Kate Richardson-Walsh, a former British women’s field hockey captain, told the BBC:
“These are small windows of opportunities for minority sports to be seen and to get support which they’re now going to miss out. What does that mean for these sports and countries?”
It means they have to get smaller in size, smaller in days needed for competition and cheaper and be able to play in venues which can host other sports as well. That’s the future.
And there is no host yet for the centennial Commonwealth Games for 2030, and no obvious or eager bidders around either. But there will be a Commonwealth Games in 2026. Observed Conal Heatley, head of Commonwealth Games Northern Ireland:
“Given where the Commonwealth Games was after the state of Victoria withdrew last summer, there was a fear the Games could just slip away.
“I think if we had looked at the future of the Games six or nine months ago, I’d have been nervous. I’m a lot more confident now.”
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