Select a region
A streamlined Glasgow 2026 will mean fewer top-level opportunities for Guernsey athletes.
Just 10 sports will be hosted at the next Commonwealth Games and others have had their programmes cut, which means, for example, there is no place for road cycling or badminton, which have been areas where the island has competed previously.
Athletics and bowls, which yielded medals for Alastair Chalmers (400m hurdles) and Lucy Beere respectively in Birmingham 2022, remain on the agenda.
Guernsey's Commonwealth Games Association members meet this evening to discuss the impact, ahead of The Games which take place between 23 July and 2 August 2026.
"The CGF believes that this new Games model will lead the way for others to follow to enable all Commonwealth Countries and Nations to host future Games," said Guernsey Commonwealth Games Association chair Angela Stuart.
"A new model Games will involve change that we will embrace to support athletes in the sports included.
"With fewer sports it is disappointing for many Guernsey athletes who will not have the opportunity in 2026 to compete at a multi-cultural and multi-sport event.
"A Commonwealth Games is the highest level a Guernsey athlete can compete, so missing out on this quadrennial event is a huge loss in their sporting calendar, amongst those are our Badminton, Road Cycling, Squash, Table Tennis, and Triathlon, athletes.
"With fewer sports we expect fewer athlete places to be awarded for the Guernsey CGA to select its team for Glasgow 2026, and we do not expect to have this information until perhaps the end of this year.
"There are only 21 months until the Games commence and there is a lot of work to do to support our athletes to get to the start line. Therefore we are progressing immediately with our sport representatives at a meeting with them tomorrow evening, Wednesday 23 October, at Foote's Lane to start discussions to formulate a process to select athletes."
The 10 sports are to take place across just four venues within an eight-mile distance, with athletes and support staff residing in hotels nearest to their competition venue, Scotstoun Stadium, Tollcross International Swimming Centre, Emirates Arena – including the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, and the Scottish Event Campus (SEC).
The sports selected: athletics and para athletics, swimming and para swimming, artistic gymnastics, track cycling and para track cycling, netball, weightlifting and para powerlifting, boxing, judo, bowls and para bowls, 3x3 basketball and 3x3 wheelchair basketball.
Sports confirmed for scaled-down Commonwealth Games in Glasgow
Commonwealth Games saved, now Guernsey faces a wait to see what will be on offer
Deal agreed for Glasgow to host 2026 Commonwealth Games
Comments
Comments on this story express the views of the commentator only, not Bailiwick Publishing. We are unable to guarantee the accuracy of any of those comments.