Arabic version: نجاح ألعاب غلاسكو يترك أسئلة بشأن 2030
According to BBC News, Glasgow’s 2026 Commonwealth Games closed after 11 days, 674 medals and crowds that organisers said helped the event exceed expectations. The Scottish city stepped in after Victoria withdrew in 2023, staging a scaled-back edition with a £160m budget. Organisers recorded ticket sales of 434,000, lower than the 1.5 million sold for Birmingham 2022 but reflecting the use of smaller venues.
The Games produced notable sporting moments, including Scotland’s Josh Kerr winning the mile at Scotstoun Stadium, Angharad Evans’ swimming success and Neil Fachie’s emotional victory on his return to the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome. Fans also watched Jamaica defeat Australia in netball. Emerging athletes included Jersey swimmer Filip Nowacki, Wales gymnast Ruby Evans, Scotland gymnast Reuben Ward and England track cyclist Henry Hobbs, who won two gold medals and a bronze.
However, questions remain over the event’s reach and long-term future. Organisers said social-media views passed Birmingham’s figures within the opening days and pointed to record television audiences in Australia and New Zealand, where coverage was free-to-air. In the UK, the Games did not have the same coverage. Glasgow was also affected by the absence or late withdrawal of leading athletics competitors, including Keely Hodgkinson, Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Dina Asher-Smith.
Ahmedabad is due to host the 2030 Games, which will mark the event’s 100th anniversary. Raghu Iyer, chief executive of the Indian Olympic Association, said he could not give guarantees over certainty for the next hosts. Ahmedabad is planning 17 sports, compared with 10 in Glasgow, while its budget is almost double Glasgow’s. Cricket, shooting, archery and hockey are expected to return, and the main venue will be the 120,000-seat cricket stadium named after Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Yet athletes and nations continue to value the Games: Australia’s Rose Davies called them a major development goal, while Tarona Taafaki said winning Tuvalu’s first Commonwealth medal represented a beginning for her country.
