Don’t squander this golden opportunity

The curtain has come down on the 2016 Olympics and Team GB can rightly spend time basking in golden glory. A record medal sweep and the dizzy heights of second in the honours table shows the investment in UK sport has reaped some dividend.

Much was made of the legacy of the London Olympics four years ago, with doubts cast over whether it would have the impact envisioned during the bidding process.

There can be little doubt at elite level the country has succeeded but the evidence of grass roots success is less easy to ascertain.

The long-held ambition to give every person access to high quality sporting facilities is some way off.

The UK, as a nation, is beset by medical problems with rising rates of cancer, heart disease and other healthrelated diseases.

Similarly, childhood obesity rates show the uptake of sport among young people is not as it should be.

It is worrying to see budget cuts — wherever the blame lies – eating into sporting provision in Scotland.

The unprecedented success of our Olympians in the last eight years is, possibly, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make the population engage with sport, reducing the strain on waistlines and the hard-pressed NHS.

Budget-setters must take a long-term view and ensure sport is given due prominence in years to come.