EVE MUIRHEAD: Scotland can save Commonwealth Games

I’m not sure how it’s fallen on Scotland’s lap to become either the saviour of the Commonwealth Games or the executioner.

It doesn’t feel fair.

But the long and the short of it appears to be that if it isn’t to be Glasgow 2026, it will be Nowhere 2026.

One by one, the countries who could have staged the event have ruled themselves out.

Somewhere along the road, the Commonwealth Games outgrew itself.

There’s widespread acceptance that it now needs scaled back – in terms of money spent and the number of sports that get included.

And it’s now up to the Scottish Government to decide if the show can go on.

It’s closer to a ‘thanks but no thanks’ than I thought it would ever be.

There is a possibility that the Games have had their time and it would be fighting a losing battle to preserve them.

It might sound silly but it makes me think about a TV show like Question of Sport.

We all remember what it was like in its heyday – and it was such a thrill for me to be invited to be a guest – but it ended up so far removed from what made it great and probably should have been taken off air sooner.

Nobody wants that for the Commonwealth Games.

And, if the smaller Games turned out to be a pale imitation of previous events, there’s a danger that the memories of Glasgow 2014 will be tarnished a bit.

My heart is still just about ruling my head, though.

I’d like to get more details about which sports will be included and at what venues.

But, in principle, I think it could work.

One thing we can say for certain is that Scotland will put on a great show.

Whether it has been the last Games, the Ryder Cup, Solheim Cup, Cycling World Championships or top level tournaments in my own sport, curling, we always deliver.

And the public will turn out.