JUST ten sports have avoided the hefty Commonwealth axe after the Games Federation unveiled their list for the “slimmed-down” 2026 Glasgow Games.
The Scottish city stepped in at the 11th hour earlier this year to “save” the games, after Victoria’s premier at the time, Daniel Andrews announced that the financial burden of hosting the Games, became “too much to bear,” for the Australian state.
However, due to the lack of preparation time afforded to Glasgow, the Games has been stripped down to just ten sports, from the proposed 17 planned for Victoria.
The Scottish city has a proud history of supporting international sporting events, and even hosted the Commonwealth Games as recently as 2014, a year which also saw 17 sports on the schedule.
It will also mark the second consecutive Games held in the United Kingdom, after Birmingham hosted in 2022.
With the recent announcement, many athletes have learnt the unfortunate fate that their discipline has been omitted, with major implications to some of our own elite athletes.
Triathlon misses out, which leaves Jersey’s Ollie Turner and Luke Holmes in the lurch, as well as budding triathlete Siena Stephens, who like Holmes, medalled at the Commonwealth Youth Games in Trinidad and Tobago.
Meanwhile, table tennis has also been taken off the table, after many Islanders were left captivated by young Hannah Silcock’s endeavours two years ago in Birmingham.
However, Jersey does have member associations in eight of the ten sports selected for the quadrennial Games, and there is a sense of collective relief across the sporting Commonwealth that the event will go ahead after a prolonged period of doubt.
Paul Huddlestone, president of the Commonwealth Games Association of Jersey, said: “We’re really pleased to have clarity after a period of uncertainty for everyone associated with the Commonwealth Games.
“Now that we have confirmation of the sports involved, we will act quickly to release our qualifying performance indicators and support athletes from all of our member associations.
“We realise that the reduced sports programme will mean disappointment for some athletes who have done so well for Jersey at previous Games.
“However, given the timeframe and financial constraints following Victoria’s withdrawal, holding a larger schedule of sports is simply not possible.
“The decision to exclude certain sports does not set a precedent for future Games.
“The CGF have assured us that all Commonwealth Games sports remain important and there will be opportunities for their return in future editions.”
Along with those sports selected, the CGF has also announced that there will be six full integrated para-competitions included, following on from the captivating Paralympics in Paris over the summer.
Glasgow 2026 sports:
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
3×3 Basketball and 3×3 Wheelchair Basketball
