KUALA LUMPUR, 22nd October 2024: The CGA of Malaysia (OCM) has accepted Glasgow’s decision to drop key sports such as Badminton, Aquatics – Diving, Hockey and Squash in its bid to deliver a financially viable XXIII Commonwealth Games.
CGA Malaysia Secretary-General, Dato’ Mohd Nazifuddin, the move was inevitable, given the time frame and the need to scale down the Games following Victoria’s withdrawal last year.
“The focus is to create a Games that could be delivered to the highest quality in a financially sustainable way.
“In moving forward, there was a need to prioritise what matters most to athletes and sports. We therefore accept the fact Glasgow 2026 will be lighter and leaner than previous Games, at the expense of sports we are strong in such as Badminton, Aquatics – Diving, Hockey and Squash” said Dato’ Mohd Nazifuddin.
The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) today officially confirmed Glasgow as the host city of the 2026 Commonwealth Games, scheduled to take place 23 July to Sunday 2 August 2026, returning to the city 12 years after the hugely successful 2014 edition.
Glasgow, which stepped in after the Government of Malaysia declined to take up the offer to replace Victoria, will feature a 10-sport programme concentrated across four venues within an eight-mile corridor, with around 3,000 of the best athletes competing from up to 74 Commonwealth nations and territories that represent 2.5 billion people – one-third of the world’s population.
Aquatics – Diving, Archery, Badminton, T20 Cricket, Hockey, Rowing, Rugby Sevens and Squash are among the sports which will not feature in the scaled-down edition.
The 10 sports which will be contested are Aquatics – Swimming, Athletics, Basketball 3×3, Boxing, Cycling – Track, Gymnastics, Judo, Lawn Bowls, Netball and Weightlifting.
There will also be integrated para events in six of those sports – Swimming, Athletics, Basketball, Track Cycling, Lawn Bowls and Weightlifting, as a key priority and point of difference for the Games.
Dato’ Mohd Nazifuddin also added the 2026 edition was set to redefine the Games as a truly collaborative, flexible and sustainable model for the future that minimises costs, reduces the environmental footprint, and enhances social impact.
In doing so, it will increase the scope of countries capable of hosting. ‘The 2026 Games will be an opportunity to set out a new blueprint for the future of sustainable, accessible Commonwealth sport – and it should come as no surprise that the scaled down version has come at the expense of our strengths.
“CGA Malaysia shall discuss the strategies needed to confront these issues with the relevant stakeholders, including the National Sports Council (NSC), the National Sports Institute (NSI) and the National Sports Associations (NSAs),” said Dato’ Mohd Nazifuddin.
