FRIENDLY GAMES ARE HERE TO STAY
Under serious threat, they charmed their way back to life in Birmingham — now countries are lining up to host
In the end, after all the splashing and sprinting, flipping and lifting, there was badminton. On the 11th day of sport — all shades of it between the brilliant and the peculiar — the last blow was a flicked forehand for doubles gold at 2.30pm by the Malaysian Pearly tan.
It was, to all bar the most curmudgeonly, an excellent Commonwealth Games. to take them for what they are means an enjoyment of sport for sport’s sake, whether it is found in Ghanaian doormen, or the fall and rise again of giants such as Adam Peaty.
Is any sporting canvas so broad as one that features both Dalton tagelagi, the head of government from the Pacific island of niue, and Laura Kenny, the British winner of everything cycling has to offer?
As it played out, tagelagi lost all six of his games of lawn bowls and Kenny ended a challenging campaign with a 28th major gold medal. For long periods, he seemed far happier than her.
If we are to risk getting a little sickly about it, perhaps that is the purpose of what they call the Friendly Games, an entity under serious threat in the sporting calendar, but which has charmed its way back to life in the past fortnight.
Indeed, against those lingering questions around their modernday relevance, it is entirely possible the 22nd edition of the Games was their most important.
MOMENTS — the Games were loaded with them. there were doubts and redemptions for both Kenny and Peaty, who were so shocked by the rarity of defeat that they pondered retirement before subsequent gold medals soothed their aches.
In Peaty’s case, he suffered a first loss in eight years in the 100metres breaststroke, which triggered an existential crisis before he won the 50m.
On the team front, the first Commonwealth title for england’s women’s hockey team was special, while one of the finest images of all was eilish McColgan winning the 10,000m and then hugging her mother Liz, who won the second of her titles in the discipline 32 years earlier.
A hat tip, too, to the heavyweight boxer Duken tutakitoa-Williams,
who won niue’s first-ever Games medal. From a population of
1,600, it was quite something. the overtime winner from local lad Myles hesson in the 3x3 basketball split a few eardrums as well.
CHARACTERS — this lends itself to the other half of the Games. While we can query the quality of some of the sport, part of the joy comes from those in the shallow end.
It was on clear display at the cycling time trial, where the great Geraint thomas shared a road with Chris Symonds, a 48-year-old riding for Ghana and whose day job for two decades has been working as a door keeper at the house of Commons.
A moment after Symonds passed through, we chatted with Jim horton, who is head of immigration in the Falklands after leaving Walsall. his whole bike cost less than thomas’s wheels. the Games were full of tales like that and as ever were richer for it.
CROWDS — More than 1.5million tickets were sold, with more than 90-per-cent occupancy at most venues. A viewpoint shared with Sportsmail by one of Britain’s most famous sporting figures is that ‘thousands of people in Britain would turn up watch a potato’, but it is indisputable that the atmosphere fizzed in and around many of the stadia.
After the Covid-hit Olympics, it was tremendous to have supporters back at one of these multi-sport festivals.
STARS — Quite simply, there weren’t enough of them. the vibe of the Games was great, but to sell this event long-term they need recognisable faces to put on posters. While elaine thompsonherah, the five-time Olympic sprint champion from Jamaica, competed (and cleaned up), it was notable that the equally great Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce did not, despite being in Birmingham to train. With tom Daley and Max Whitlock giving it a swerve, and Dina Asher-Smith injured, the Games felt light on star quality.
THE GOOD — At an event where even Peaty blew hot and cold, how brilliant to see swimmer Duncan Scott maintain his usual steely focus. he became Scotland’s most decorated ‘Commies’ athlete of all time, claiming six medals in Birmingham — including golds in the 200m individual medley and freestyle — to bring his total haul from three Games to 13.
his rivalry with england’s tom Dean — who himself claimed seven medals in Birmingham — has been a fascinating sideshow in the aquatics arena.
Meanwhile, english gymnast Jake Jarman, 20, won four golds — a fine return for a guy who was introduced to the sport after being spotted swinging on monkey bars as a kid.
THE BAD — the decision of the cycling chiefs to allow a bronze medal race between england and Scotland in the women’s tandem B sprint— only to then inform them no medal was on offer because the field included only four teams. the england para-cyclist Sophie Unwin and her pilot Georgia holt protested by standing behind the podium.
THE UGLY — Matt Walls’ horrific crash into the crowd at the velodrome.
THE FUTURE — the Games will run in Victoria in 2026, but what then? It’s been a concerning question, but Commonwealth Games CeO Katie Sadlier told Sportsmail on Monday that four nations have expressed an interest for 2030 thanks to the appeal of the past fortnight.