Commonwealth Games Federation looks to Africa for future hosting amid 2026 uncertainty

Commonwealth Games Federation looks to Africa for future hosting amid 2026 uncertainty

Stephen Awino 15:26 - 05.10.2024

The 2026 Commonwealth games have been scaled down after Glasgow, Scotland was announced as host following Victoria's withdrawal. .

The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) has turned its attention to Kenya ahead of the much anticipated troubled 2026 Commonwealth games.

Originally planned to take place in Victoria, Australia, the games faced numerous challenges, prompting officials to reassess their ability to host the event.

With Glasgow stepping in, the focus now turns to a streamlined approach, which is expected to reduce costs.

The focus now shifts to Mombasa, Kenya after the Maldives held the first of three Commonwealth Sport Regional Meetings between September 22-23 with representatives of 21 Commonwealth Games Associations in the Oceania-Asia region coming together.

The regional Meeting, for African and European CGAs, will take place on 7-8 October in Mombasa, Kenya, with the Turks and Caicos islands hosting the Caribbean and Americas Regional Meeting on October 17-18.

National Olympics Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) president Paul Tergat revealed that the the federation's president was in Kenya ahead of the much anticipated meeting.

"The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) President, Dr. Chris Jenkins is in Kenya and CGA-Kenya is very pleased to have hosted him at our offices and, thereafter, a session with our member Federations leaders and the media. Karibu Kenya Mr. President," revealed Tergat via a tweet on the X platform.

The federation president Chris Jenkins has disclosed that Glasgow is running against time to be ready in 18 months therefore the games will be scaled down to only 10 sporting disciplines that will constitute of six mandatory disciplines while Glasgow will choose the other four

"That co-creation is central to the new model, so it's talking about what does a country want out of the games or the community. You want social return social, return on investment which really in enhances the power of sport and how important sport is," said Jenkins as per CitizenTV.

The scaled-down version of the games will involve a reduced number of events and venues, allowing for a more sustainable approach amid ongoing financial constraints and logistical hurdles faced by many host cities. This shift aims to ensure that the spirit of the Commonwealth Games remains intact while adapting to current realities.