The Commonwealth Games, a major multi-sport event, is struggling to stay in the spotlight as cities increasingly shy away from hosting due to rising costs and the event's decreasing allure.
The current edition in Glasgow has been a particularly difficult one, with the Australian state of Victoria pulling out as host due to concerns that the event was a "waste of taxpayer money," according to the auditor general.
This is not an isolated incident, as the Canadian province of Alberta also backed out of hosting the 2030 edition, citing rising costs. Ahmedabad has been announced as the new host, but it remains to be seen how many countries can realistically afford to host a sprawling tournament.
The trend for major sporting events seems to be to award them to autocratic petrostates with swelling coffers, none of which are in the Commonwealth. The 17 sports on offer at the 2022 Games in Birmingham have been reduced to just 10 due to the last-minute hosting change.
The athletics events, traditionally one of the Games' biggest draws, will only have a crowd of 11,000 at Scotstoun Stadium, rather than nearby Hampden Park, which can fit 52,000. This has led to corners being cut, with events being crammed into tiny venues, risking the Games becoming a damp squib.
Many athletes have shunned the event altogether, citing the lack of quality in the field and the awkward spot in the calendar, two weeks before athletics' Europeans. British athletes like new men's mile world record holder Josh Kerr have prioritized competing at home, but others, such as Keely Hodgkinson and Dina Asher-Smith, have opted for the Europeans.
The job of trying to resuscitate the Games has been made even more difficult by them going behind a television paywall for the first time. The BBC has been outbid by TNT Sports, and while there will still be highlights on Channel 5 and BBC Alba, and some broadcasting on iPlayer, the Games have become another victim of the BBC's shrinking portfolio.
The production value and coverage is sure to be impressive, but the reach of the Games will contract. The potential to turn casual viewers into diehard fans has all but disappeared, which spells disaster for a Games already struggling to stay in the spotlight.
The Commonwealth Games have been truly groundbreaking in integrating para-sport with able-bodied sport, with combined medal tables and an equal focus on both. However, the event's decreasing allure and the lack of top competitors make it harder to attract viewers and athletes in the future.
The Commonwealth Games have a unique chance to compete on the big stage for many smaller nations, and for athletes even within the UK, the event can be a stepping stone to greater, more daunting multi-sport events like the Olympics. British athletes get to proudly compete for their home constituent nation – Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, England – as opposed to pulling on a GB vest, for perhaps the only time in their professional career.
The Commonwealth Games' future remains uncertain, but one thing is clear – the event needs a drastic overhaul to regain its former glory.
Source: Yahoo Sports