Wales considers to bid Commonwealth Games 2026
16th August 2012
It is a fantastic idea that Wales is even considering hosting the Commonwealth Games in 2026.
When you consider the positive energy from the crowds of spectators at the London Olympics over the past two weeks, let alone the example of the athletes and then think about the great buildings as well, it is an exciting prospect for Cardiff. So, the news that the Welsh government is working with Cardiff City Council and other key stakeholders including Sport Wales the Commonwealth Games Council for Wales to look at the costs and feasibility of bidding to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games has to be good for Cardiff and Wales as a whole.
The Commonwealth Games takes place every four years and is one of the biggest sports events in the world. The next games will next be held in Glasgow in 2014 and Australia’s Gold Coast will host the games in 2018.
So, why not Cardiff?
Glasgow has opened several venues in preparation of the games in two years’ time including the refurbished Royal Commonwealth Pool in Edinburgh and bowling lawns in Glasgow.
However, Wales already has a lot in place to host an international sports event. A great deal of work has been done recently in Cardiff to create award winning high-quality venues especially at the International Sports Village in Cardiff Bay. The Hong Kong Olympic team trained at the Cardiff International Pool and the Australian Paralympic team is currently training daily at the pool for the London Paralympic Games.
The Sports Village’s 250-metre Olympic-standard canoe slalom course is a CEW Demo project demonstrating what Welsh construction and collaboration can achieve.
We know that Welsh construction is capable of carrying out world-class sporting events and there is no reason why Wales could not aim big!
Right now there is a lot of talk about the major infrastructure projects that Wales needs such as the electrification of the main London rail link and further improvements to the M4. But why not think even bigger – we have the skill, resource and tenacity to deliver world class infrastructure for Wales so why not gear it all to creating a show piece event like the Commonwealth Games? It is certainly worth thinking about – let us know if you agree with us.
The Sports Village canoe slalom course
