A Gold standard may put others out of Games race
THOSE at the sharp end of organising the Commonwealth Games used to blithely declare that the event itself would survive anything. Even the dissolution of the rebranded old Empire itself.
Now? Even without recent political upheavals possibly forcing the UK to pay more attention to old friendships among the former colonies, there aren’t too many cracking oneliners about the Games outlasting the actual Commonwealth.
Indeed, it’s worth asking one very pertinent question: are we witnessing the final knockings of a sporting competition bringing together 52 countries with a combined population of 1.5billion souls?
Some of the reasons for the new and sombre tone are deadly serious. Durban being stripped of hosting rights for 2022 obviously raises concerns.
As for whether any African city might hope to bid successfully in the near future, well, consider this. Kenya, that greatest of athletic nations, may need life-saving food aid for four million of its drought-affected citizens in the coming weeks — you can’t eat Olympic gold medals.
Kenya’s impending crisis, in tandem with the Commonwealth Games Federation being forced to move on Durban because of financial concerns, adds to the impression of a ‘common wealth’ blighted by poverty. And unable to spread the sporting goodies.
The danger is that the Friendly Games are destined to continue being bounced back and forth between Australia and Britain every four years.
In which case, they may find themselves running out of chums willing to prop up their old acquaintance.
All this week, your Sportsmail columnist will be on the Gold Coast, the 2018 hosts. Amid such uncertainty over what happens
after next year’s gathering of greats, the one short-term guarantee is that the Aussies will be ready to deliver; it will be well funded, well run and well supported by a public who go nuts for almost any sport. Even bowls.
Here’s the problem, though. A great Games on the Gold Coast inevitably keeps the bar at a certain height. Maybe even raises it from the standards so memorably set by Melbourne 2006 and — of course — Glasgow 2014.
The British city destined to win the rights to the 2022 Games, with Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham all in the hunt, will undoubtedly see that as a challenge. So they’ll go bigger, better, brighter, slicker, more professional.
Follow that, Nigeria. Your Abuja bid was so earthy and heartfelt. Come on Antigua and Barbuda. Get your act together and welcome just the 5,000 athletes — plus at least as many support staff — to St John’s. Hardly likely, is it?
For the Games have become a victim of their own success, their elevation to a sort of mini Olympic status, something that started in Manchester back in 2002, meaning cities need to have at least one major stadium, plus a lot of other facilities, just to consider entering the bidding.
And nobody wants to be the poor relation who puts on a kind of half-hearted school sports day, do they?
Canada remain wary, there is no Caribbean interest and Pakistan is a non-starter, while the Durban farce means South Africa — the Rainbow nation upon whom so many hopes rest — won’t be considered for some time.
Assuming 2022 comes to England, then, the 21st century run of Commonwealth Games will have gone UK, Australia, India, UK, Australia, UK. And you all know how well received Delhi 2010 was.
The Games are under threat on many fronts, not least from rival multi-sport events such as the European Championships coming to Glasgow next year. The Second City of the Empire is co-hosting this young competition with Berlin, incidentally, so this shared responsibility model is worth watching.
There is also the ever-present concern surrounding those big-name no-shows. The moment two or three world or Olympic champions start ducking out, the host city has problems generating interest. Do you remember the months of ‘Will he? Won’t he?’ surrounding Usain Bolt and Glasgow?
At their best, a Commonwealth Games attracting competitors from all over what Tony Hancock once called ‘the pink bits in me old school atlas’ can be truly glorious. If they don’t get to move around the world, however, emphasising their global nature in contrast to ‘regional’ European or Pan-American events, they risk looking parochial.
Simply inviting old Mother England and the sports-obsessed Aussies to take it in turns to host would, over the long term, spell the beginning of the end for a unique event.
All week, Sportsmail will be bringing you the inside track from the very top of the CGF and major Commonwealth Games figures on the Gold Coast, as well as delivering news on the work already being done to help Team Scotland beat even their record ‘away’ medal haul from Melbourne.