SportOther SportsCommonwealth GamesFour of the last seven editions have been staged in Great Britain, and it's clear that Commonwealth Sport realises it needs to cut ties to the mother country for its future relevanceJames Toney12:47, 03 Aug 2026Glasgow might have saved the Commonwealth Games, but don't expect to see them back on these shores for a generation.‌Four of the last seven editions have been staged in Great Britain, and it's clear that Commonwealth Sport realises it needs to cut ties to the mother country for its future relevance. Scotland gets its eternal thanks for stepping in at late notice when Australia said it couldn't afford to host.‌Australian taxpayers ended up paying this city £100 million in compensation to stage the Games on their behalf and were duly thanked by topping the medal table with 70 golds.‌"Glasgow has acted as a bridge to the future of the Commonwealth Games movement," said Commonwealth Sport president Dr Donald Rukare. "Every host writes its own chapter, and Glasgow's has been one of bravery, courage, friendship and, above all, outstanding innovation."India will host the centenary Games in 2030, and there are four private expressions of interest for 2034. Nigeria has made no secret of its desire to become the first African host, while New Zealand believes a lower-cost approach to hosting finally gives it a chance to welcome the Commonwealth for the first time since 1990. Canada hasn't hosted since 1994 either.‌Insiders admit there is more chance of the Olympics coming back to the UK – with a bid mooted for the 2040s – before another Commonwealth Games. For years, officials presented hosts with a long list of demands and requirements. Glasgow has changed all that."It's a much more collaborative process," said Commonwealth Sport chief executive Katie Sadlier. "We're not telling hosts, 'This is what you must do.' Instead, we're asking, 'What are you trying to achieve?' and then working with them to make that happen."We've set a guideline of around 15 to 17 sports, but if a future host comes to us with a proposal they believe works for them, we'll sit down and work through it together. We're not imposing rigid targets. We don't want countries building facilities they don't actually need just to host the Games. If a nation genuinely wants to build a stadium because it fits its long-term plans, that's fine, but it shouldn't automatically become part of the Games budget.Article continues below"We don't want hosts spending huge amounts of money on things we don't think are necessary any more. Glasgow is using existing venues, stakeholders have accepted reduced service levels, there aren't fleets of VIP cars, and people are travelling by bus. Everyone has embraced that because they wanted the Commonwealth Games to happen."Thanks to National Lottery players, more than £33m is raised every week for good causes. It’s because of you that sport, arts, heritage and community projects, as well as our athletes competing at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, are supported across the UK .Choose Daily Mirror as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.‌National LotteryCommonwealth GamesLondon 2012 Olympics