The 23rd Commonwealth Games began in Glasgow on Thursday, 12 years to the day the same event started in 2014. They were the third and last of the Commonwealth Games I covered. At the end of them, I wrote something along the lines of: “Someday, all Games will be made this way.”It was a line I nicked from the Seiko Astron, which was launched in 1969 with the marketing slogan: “Someday, all watches will be made this way.” The Astron was, according to Seiko, “the world’s first commercially available quartz wristwatch. With its unprecedented accuracy and revolutionary technology, it helped trigger the global ‘quartz revolution’ that completely reshaped the watchmaking industry.”In 2014, Glasgow reshaped the Commonwealth Games, which pared back ostentatiousness to produce an incredibly successful, world-class event that was inclusive, accessible and, most importantly, affordable. It showed what could be done on a finite and sensible budget (just £600m!) using venues already in place. They sold more than 1.3-million tickets over 17 sports in 21 days, with 71 nations and territories taking part. It was more than the ticket sales and the medals. I wrote of the volunteers who had “smiles for miles”. Glasgow owned the event. It felt Scottish and yet global. It was small-town giddiness and man-about-town suave. I loved every day of it.It had stories for days. From Prince Neluonde, who, with skip Bobby Donnelly and Pierre Breitenbach, was part of the South African trips that beat Northern Ireland in the bowls. It was South Africa’s sixth gold of the Games, their third at the Kelvingrove complex. Neluonde had only started playing bowls four years before and was the first black person to represent South Africa in bowls.Neluonde got into the sport at the Bryanston Sports Club as a greenkeeper, following in the footsteps of his father. He had moved on to become a bartender at the club as the tips were better. He certainly had top tips in the trips on a sunny day in Glasgow.Usain Bolt was the star turn in Glasgow, despite telling Katie Gibbons, a journalist from The Times, the Games were a “bit sh*t”. He denied saying it and it became a big “scandal” story. It had been a day of grey skies and he was perhaps a little tapped out by all the requests for selfies, some of those from journalists.It was, as Andy Bull wrote in The Guardian, the first selfie-games. Even Queen Elizabeth inadvertently photobombed a selfie by Australian hockey player Jayde Taylor who posted: “Ahhh, the Queen photo-bombed our selfie!! #sheevensmiled #amazing”. “This new thing about selfies, they are really making the lap of honour long,” said Bolt, taking time out of things being a bit sh*t. There was a considerable South African tint to Glasgow. The Blitzboks beat New Zealand for gold in the Sevens at Ibrox and became perhaps the first team wearing green to be cheered at the home of Rangers.Princess Kate, then the Duchess of Cambridge, was pictured taking part in what was described as a “South African jumping game”. “The game was Three Tins, and for one paper it was proof that the Duchess wasn’t pregnant. Expectant moms don’t jump, apparently,” I wrote then.Opera singer Pumeza Matshikiza was part of the opening ceremony before going on to play Aida in Italy and then hitting the heights by being inducted into the Roodepoort Theatre Wall of Fame.I got to visit the famous traffic cone atop the statue of the Duke of Wellington on the Royal Exchange Square outside the Gallery of Modern Art in Glasgow in Queen Street. The exploits of the Scottish fans at the World Cup have taken cone-heading to the world.It was also in Glasgow that Durban was all but confirmed as the host in 2022, but then they became the first host city and nation to lose a one-horse race when they shot themselves in the foot.Glasgow defined the Games in 2014 and they will do so in 2026. They know how to put on a party and a show. There are fewer sports, just four venues and ticket sales are limited to 500,000. These will be the really affordable Games. Simple Minds will be the main act at the closing ceremony. A wonderful 11 days lies ahead, days when we may say that all games should be made this way. Business Day