The Commonwealth Games will survive and thrive despite the financial crisis that nearly killed the quadrennial sporting spectacular, Commonwealth Sport president Dr. Donald Rukare has declared as Glasgow prepares to host a dramatically condensed edition that begins on Thursday with King Charles attending the opening ceremony.

The event was plunged into existential crisis when the Australian state of Victoria withdrew as 2026 hosts in July 2023, citing spiralling costs that threatened to bankrupt the project. Glasgow’s decision to step in with a slimmed-down format using existing venues has saved the Games from oblivion, but the rescue mission has come at a cost, just 10 sports and six para-sports will be contested, down from 19 sports and eight para-sports at Birmingham four years ago.

“We had that dark cloud over us in terms of having no Games, but Glasgow stepped in. Scotland the brave as we say,” Rukare said, crediting the Scottish city with rescuing an event that traces its lineage back 96 years to the British Empire Games.

Athletes remain the priority

Despite the reduced programme, Rukare insists the Games’ fundamental purpose remains unchanged, providing a platform where future Olympic champions can cut their teeth on the international stage.

“It’s about the athletes,” the Ugandan emphasised. “For some of the athletes, they’re going to be representing their countries, their territories, for the first time and we believe that the Commonwealth Games is where champions are made.”

Positioned two years either side of the Olympic Games, the Commonwealths have historically served as crucial stepping stones for emerging talent from the 74 nations and territories that comprise the Commonwealth sporting family.

Swimming and athletics are now the only compulsory sports in the Commonwealth programme, a shift designed to give potential hosts far greater flexibility when bidding to stage the event. The streamlined model represents Commonwealth Sport’s response to the broader crisis facing multi-sport events, where escalating costs have deterred cities from bidding.

Future expansion planned despite Glasgow reduction

Rukare confirmed the Glasgow model represents a temporary emergency measure rather than the permanent future of the Commonwealth Games. The Indian city of Ahmedabad has already been confirmed as host for the centenary Games in 2030, with strong interest from New Zealand amongst other candidates for 2034.

“It won’t remain at the 10 sports for sure, but we’re looking at probably something in the range of between 15 and 18 sports going forward,” he revealed. “At the end of the day, what we’re looking for is how do we have a sustainable, smart, agile model, but also responding to the needs and aspirations of the athletes.”

India crucial to diversifying Games geography

The success of Ahmedabad 2030 could prove pivotal in determining the Commonwealth Games’ long-term trajectory. Six of the last seven editions have taken place in the UK or Australia, creating a geographic imbalance that fails to reflect the Commonwealth’s true diversity.

The Games have visited Asia just twice previously, whilst Africa, has never hosted the event. Ahmedabad’s candidacy is viewed in India as a stepping stone towards the ultimate prize of hosting the 2036 Olympics, with authorities hoping to establish the world’s most populous nation as a credible sporting destination.

“We’d like to see that the Commonwealth family, Commonwealth Sport, reflect the diversity, the multicultural cultures that we have,” said Rukare. “Going to one of the biggest countries in the Commonwealth, building on from Delhi 2010, there’s no doubt that India now is a different place. They are ready to go.”

The Commonwealth Sport president harbours ambitions extending beyond India. “We’d like to see how India will definitely put on a good show, maybe down the road sometime in the future, Africa could host the Games. So we’re really trying to commit to the Games right across the Commonwealth, to be able to show the whole mosaic of the culture and beautiful tapestry that we have of all our 74 territories.”

Thursday’s opening ceremony, with King Charles declaring the Games open, represents survival. What comes next will determine whether the Commonwealth Games can truly thrive in a sporting landscape where costs spiral and cities increasingly baulk at hosting mega-events.