Scotland claim three medals in a magnificent 45 minutes in the pool to kick-start the hosts' Commonwealth Games in fine style in Glasgow. Scotland claimed three medals in a magnificent 45 minutes in the pool to kickstart the hosts' Commonwealth Games in fine style in Glasgow. King Charles III officially opened the 23rd Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on Thursday to launch 10 days in a slimmed down event designed to control costs.
Around 3,000 athletes from 74 nations and territories will compete for 215 gold medals across 10 sports and six para-sports in the Scottish city, which also hosted the games 12 years ago. Accompanied by his wife Queen Camilla, the King emerged from a Tardis, inspired by British science fiction TV show Doctor Who, to get the opening ceremony off to a jovial start before taking his seat in the 14,000-capacity Hydro arena in the centre of the city. "As we gather, we celebrate the dedication and talent of every athlete and team.
Your perseverance inspires us, and we eagerly anticipate your achievements in the coming days," King Charles said addressing the athletes. "As we share our love of sport, and our planet, let us build a harmonious and durable future, for our families and each other. "It is now my great pleasure to declare the twenty-third Commonwealth Games open." A first ever indoor opening ceremony for the event, which originated as the British Empire Games in 1930 and is still made up mainly of countries once subject to British imperial rule, is part of a major restructuring of the Games which were on the brink of collapse three years ago.
'Extraordinary things' The Australian state of Victoria withdrew as hosts of the event citing spiralling costs in 2023. Glasgow stepped in to fill the breach and keep the Commonwealth Games project on track, but at a quarter of the cost when it hosted 12 years ago and with the sporting programme nearly halved from 19 sports in Birmingham four years ago. "When the future of these Games was uncertain, Glasgow didn't ask, 'Can we?', We asked, 'When do we get started?'" George Black, Chair of Glasgow 2026, said.
We roll up our sleeves and, together, we make extraordinary things happen." The indoor venue allowed for the athletes to take to the stage as they were welcomed into the arena with new UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham among those in attendance, alongside Scotland's First Minister John Swinney. The Falkland Islands' six-strong team were among those to receive the biggest ovation in the wake of the fallout from Argentina's World Cup victory over England when Argentine players paraded a banner reading: "Las Malvinas son Argentinas" (The …
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