I can understand why the Commonwealth Games find themselves at a bit of a crossroads.
Manchester, Glasgow and the Gold Coast have taken the profile of the event to unprecedented heights in recent years.
And the problem it has created is that there aren’t many nations who feel equipped to step up and bid to host given the standards that have been set (and the cost).
If there has to be a bit of a scaling back then so be it but I would be really worried if they start to go down the road that has been talked about this week.
A ‘mini Olympics’ feel is what defines the Games.
It’s more intimate but the types of sport that get showcased are broadly similar.
So to cut the number of protected sports to just two – athletics and swimming – from 16 isn’t right.
Apart from the fact a lot of minority sports will suffer badly if they don’t have a Commonwealth Games as their pinnacle, to allow host nations to decide the rest is a recipe for disaster.
The temptation just to pick ones they are good at would be too great.
So nobody is talking about how only athletics and swimming will be protected sports for future Commonwealth Games?#squash
— Laurent Cossa ⏏️ (@lozzercozzer) October 13, 2021
And don’t even get me started on allowing E-sports to be included.
How can you call it a ‘sport’ if somebody is sitting in front of a computer screen?
The Commonwealth Games are walking a tightrope to keep themselves relevant and sustainable.
Get it wrong – and it could be the beginning of the end.
That’s the first phase of our curling season over.
It was another good week out in Canada on the back of the trip to Switzerland the week before and it’s now in the hands of the selectors to pick the team for the European Championships from the squad of nine of us.
It has been incredibly challenging to not have the same line-up for two tournaments in a row.
It’s not something that would be sustainable over a long period of time but it’s been necessary for the circumstances we find ourselves in with the Olympic qualifier coming up pretty quickly after the Europeans.
I’ve been challenged in new ways as a skip and I’d like to think I’ve responded to it well.
“A” road qualifiers @CC_AGCC ✅😊
Day off tomorrow.
Quarter final 9am local (4pm uk) Monday morning! 💪🏽@BritishCurling pic.twitter.com/vhiMA4CDjU— Eve Muirhead MBE (@evemuirhead) October 10, 2021
I think we can say that about the whole squad – the results back that up.
Fingers crossed it’s all been worthwhile and I’ll have an exciting phase two to look forward to.
I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve visited Canada.
I can’t say I would describe it as a football-mad or soccer-mad country, though.
When we were out there last week you wouldn’t have known there were big World Cup qualifiers being played.
The profile of football doesn’t come close to over here.
Highlights from #CANMNT 4:1 PAN #WCQ #ForCanada pic.twitter.com/uCEJrPv8gB
— Canada Soccer (@CanadaSoccerEN) October 14, 2021
But you can be sure that if Canada do get to the finals for the first time since 1986, with St Johnstone’s very own David Wotherspoon helping them on their way, it will start to become a big deal.
One thing that can’t be denied is that it’s a sports-mad country and, just like America, they really start to get interested in something or someone when they’re good at it!
