Dropped sports are still key to future Commonwealth Games, says chief executive

Sports left off the programme for the scaled-down 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow could still be “key” in future events, the chief executive of the Commonwealth Games Federation has said.

Hockey, squash and diving are among the sports which will not feature, with only 10 sports selected to take place at four venues.

The Scottish city stepped into the breach after the Australian state of Victoria withdrew last year and its hosting in less than two years’ time was officially confirmed by the CGF on Tuesday morning.

The international federations for squash and shooting were among those to issue statements expressing disappointment at being left out, but CGF boss Katie Sadleir urged them not to be too disheartened.

“It’s always a very difficult decision when you have to decide which sports are in the programme and which sports are not,” she said at a briefing on Tuesday afternoon.

“Every time we run a Games, we only have two compulsory sports, athletics and swimming, and the rest are all up for that discussion and negotiation between the host and the Commonwealth Games Federation.

“To the sports (missing out) it must be incredibly disappointing, but what I must say to you is that because you’re not in the programme for 2026 does not mean that you’re not a key sport for us in the future.

“We’re about to go through the process of deciding on (hosting for) the 2030 centenary Games and that programme of sports may look quite different.”

The sports chosen for Glasgow, alongside athletics and swimming, are track cycling, gymnastics, netball, weightlifting, boxing, judo, bowls and 3×3 basketball.

There will also be integrated para events in six of those sports – athletics, swimming, track cycling, weightlifting, bowls and basketball.

Also missing out compared to the 2022 Games in Birmingham are triathlon, T20 cricket, badminton and rugby sevens.

Diving has featured in each of the 12 editions of the Games since the inaugural event in 1930, while hockey and squash have been included in every Games since 1998.

The CGF and their Scottish hosts have sought to strike a balance between achieving a multi-sports feel and the need to manage athlete numbers and costs, due to the condensed timeframe before the Games begin on July 23, 2026.

For the majority of the history of the Commonwealth Games, the event has been held with approximately 10 sports. Post 1998, the Games have been flexible ranging between 15 to 20 sports, and flexibility in the future will be important for hosts.

The World Squash Federation and Scottish Squash said the sport’s exclusion was “deeply disappointing”, with a joint statement reading: “This decision is particularly frustrating for Scotland’s and the Commonwealth’s top squash players, who work tirelessly to represent their countries at major games.

“WSF and Scottish Squash remain committed to supporting these athletes by providing the best competitive opportunities to enhance their skills and proudly represent their countries.

“Representatives of the WSF and Scottish Squash have received assurances that this decision for a condensed event in 2026 will not impact the inclusion of squash into future Commonwealth Games.”

All sports will be hosted across four venues within an eight-mile corridor – the Scotstoun Stadium, Tollcross International Swimming Centre, the Emirates Arena, including the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, and the Scottish Event Campus (SEC).

The CGF says the estimated 3,000 athletes who will compete, plus support staff, will be housed in hotels during the Games.

The CGF confirmed the event would run from July 23 to August 2, 2026, and said it would bring £100million in inward investment to the city, with Games delivery not requiring any public funding.

Sadleir admitted she was “very worried” about whether there would even be a Games in 2026 when Victoria withdrew, but added: “What we saw over the last 12 months was our membership put up their hand and work together on some solutions.

“We’re about to start our 2030 expressions of interest process. We’ve already started talking to two to three countries about what’s possible there, but this resizing of the Games definitely makes those conversations a lot easier.

“Running multi-sport events of a size and scale of Birmingham is significantly challenging in terms of the cost and the facility requirements.

“So one of the things that Commonwealth Games Federation has been doing is trying to look at what the Games of the future look like.

“We want to be able to take the Commonwealth Games around the Commonwealth, so that it’s not just being hosted between Australia and the UK, and to do that, we needed to resize the the event by listening to what our members are saying, bringing the bid down to a size and scale that other people can host.”

Commonwealth Games Scotland (CGS) first announced its “cost effective” proposal for hosting in April.

Its chief executive Jon Doig said: “Glasgow 2026 will have all the drama, passion and joy that we know the Commonwealth Games delivers, even if it is to be lighter and leaner than some previous editions.

“It will be more accessible, delivered on a smaller footprint which brings our fans closer to the sporting action.

“The Commonwealth Games has a special place in the hearts of athletes around the globe and we’re really looking forward to welcoming them, their support staff and fans from all four corners of the Commonwealth to experience the famous Scottish and Glasgow hospitality. It is an exciting moment for the city and the country.”