The Scottish city of Glasgow scooped the right to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games ahead of Nigerian city Abuja, winning the vote by a convincing margin of 47 to 24.
The 71 Commonwealth member countries voted in Colombo, Sri Lanka, after the two cities had made final 30-minute bid presentations. President of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), Michael Fennell made the announcement.
Glasgow had been the clear favorite to bring home the games since the withdrawal of Halifax in Canada, in March of this year, saying it could no longer provide funding for a bid.
And the Scottish city seemed even more certain of securing the prize when its bid was highly praised by the technical evaluation report from the Commonwealth Games Federation, while Abuja was found wanting in certain key areas including transport, accommodation and financial matters. Abuja relied heavily on the emotional pull to stage the Games in Abuja and in Africa for the first time ever ÔÇô but it was simply not enough.
During the final presentation Louise Martin, chair of the Commonwealth Games Council for Scotland, said Glasgow would provide "games that will inspire everyone for generations. Games that will have grown and developed when we pass the baton to the next host city."
Leading the Glasgow 2014 party in Glasgow, Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon called the win, "a momentous day for Scotland, not just in terms of sporting achievement but also in our bid to inspire a whole generation to live healthier, more physically active lifestyles.ÔÇØ
The Games will be held over 11 days, with the opening ceremony on 23 July 2014, and the last day of competition and closing ceremony on 3 August 2014.
Chair of Culture and Sport Glasgow, Bailie Liz Cameron said, ÔÇ£Sport runs through the veins of Glaswegians. This city has a proud sporting reputation: UK City of Sport since 1996; European Capital of Sport 2003; and home to Scotland's national football stadium ÔÇô Hampden. And now the biggest prize of all, the right to host one of the world's major multi-sporting events ÔÇô the Commonwealth Games in 2014, bringing even more world-class sporting facilities to the people of Glasgow.ÔÇØ
ÔÇ£But this isn't just about 11 days in 2014. In the run up to the Games, we'll be recruiting 15,000 volunteers, providing them with training and skills they can use for the rest of their lives. And we will continue to regenerate areas of our city, with new homes, businesses and a new sense of ambition, allowing every single Glaswegian to go for gold.ÔÇØ
Source: sportsbusiness.com
