Commonwealth Games medals are displayed Glasgow 2026 showpiece event.
Commonwealth Sport president Dr Donald Rukare insists the Commonwealth Games remains a stage "where champions are made", as Glasgow prepares to open a streamlined edition of the multi-sport event.
The Games were thrown into uncertainty in July 2023 when the Australian state of Victoria withdrew as host, citing escalating costs. Glasgow — which previously hosted the 2014 edition — stepped forward to offer a condensed format utilising existing infrastructure to limit public expenditure.
The scaled-back event features 10 sports and six para-sports, down from 19 sports and eight para-sports at Birmingham four years ago. King Charles is set to attend the opening ceremony on Thursday to officially declare the Games open.
"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.
