Cancelled International Events

[Sports Prophet]

5 hours ago, sam4731 said:

To be honest, I think the shelf life of the Commonwealth Games is coming to an end anyway. More and more countries are having discussions about leaving and that will only grow now that the Queen has gone. Saying that, if the Games do continue, getting nines on the programme would be a great idea.

Don’t mistake being a part of the Commonwealth with having the Queen or King as head of state.

There may be some nations considering becoming a republican state but, I don’t know of any nation which is contemplating an exit from the Commonwealth.

[Sports Prophet]

2 hours ago, DoubleD said:

Agreed, the Commonwealth Games will likely be consigned to history soon, it doesn't hold any relevance in the 21st century. Many countries no longer wish to be part of the Commonwealth anymore and the costs significantly outweigh the financial benefit. Athletics in general is another sport on its knees, you might have seen a report that the UK Athletics was bailed out recently to enable it to host the loss making Diamond League event. It's on the verge of bankruptcy

Per my above post, my understanding is applications for nations to join the Commonwealth are growing and I don’t know of any existing member nations looking to leave.

[DoubleD]

10 minutes ago, Sports Prophet said:

Per my above post, my understanding is applications for nations to join the Commonwealth are growing and I don’t know of any existing member nations looking to leave.

That's not my understanding, who is looking to join? 

It's an archaic institution and countries have stayed for developmental reasons where these often small states feel it's beneficial to be part of a wider group. Few if any have any affinity to the British Empire. It may continue as a loosely affiliated voluntary group, but I imagine the games will soon be consigned to history. There's really little interest in it, particularly through the generations

[Sports Prophet]

12 minutes ago, DoubleD said:

That's not my understanding, who is looking to join? 

It's an archaic institution and countries have stayed for developmental reasons where these often small states feel it's beneficial to be part of a wider group. Few if any have any affinity to the British Empire. It may continue as a loosely affiliated voluntary group, but I imagine the games will soon be consigned to history. There's really little interest in it, particularly through the generations

Yeah, but the Commonwealth is so much more than the Commonwealth games and the days of it being solely the British Empire are gone. IIRC there are two or three African nations expressing interest in joining the Commonwealth.

As to the games, I don’t see much of a future for it. Seeing Australia destroy every other nation on the medal table is getting tired.

At the risk of being an Australian, demonstrating an insular view, I actually think Australia would be better off investing in its own multi sports event in the Summer prior to any Olympics where athletes and teams representing their respective states compete for Olympic qualification across as many of the Olympic events as possible. It would be a great way to ensure the individual state’s facilities and sporting programmes are held accountable and bring back a little inter state rivalry.

Imagine a GB Games where individuals represent their county of birth. Could that renew some county pride and rivalry? A good idea or not?

[Barley Mow]

22 minutes ago, DoubleD said:

That's not my understanding, who is looking to join? 

It's an archaic institution and countries have stayed for developmental reasons where these often small states feel it's beneficial to be part of a wider group. Few if any have any affinity to the British Empire. It may continue as a loosely affiliated voluntary group, but I imagine the games will soon be consigned to history. There's really little interest in it, particularly through the generations

Gabon and Togo joined last year, Rwanda joined in 2009. These three along with Mozambique (1995) applied to join despite never having been part of the empire. Four further countries have applied to join but haven't yet been admitted.

As @Sports Prophet says, there are movements in some of the 15 nations that share the King as head of state to become republics, but none are proposing to leave the Commonwealth.

 

[Griff]

27 minutes ago, DoubleD said:

That's not my understanding, who is looking to join? 

It's an archaic institution ...

It's not. It's a highly effective trade network.

[DoubleD]

7 minutes ago, Sports Prophet said:

Yeah, but the Commonwealth is so much more than the Commonwealth games and the days of it being solely the British Empire are gone. IIRC there are two or three African nations expressing interest in joining the Commonwealth.

As to the games, I don’t see much of a future for it. Seeing Australia destroy every other nation on the medal table is getting tired.

At the risk of being an Australian, demonstrating an insular view, I actually think Australia would be better off investing in its own multi sports event in the Summer prior to any Olympics where athletes and teams representing their respective states compete for Olympic qualification across as many of the Olympic events as possible. It would be a great way to ensure the individual state’s facilities and sporting programmes are held accountable and bring back a little inter state rivalry.

Imagine a GB Games where individuals represent their county of birth. Could that renew some county pride and rivalry? A good idea or not?

I don't think it would gain much traction or sufficient interest to make it commercially viable. As mentioned earlier, athletics which is the pinnacle of the games is on the verge of bankruptcy and heavily loses money on its showpiece event already. Anyway this topic should probably be posted on AoB

[Griff]

11 minutes ago, Sports Prophet said:

 

Imagine a GB Games where individuals represent their county of birth. Could that renew some county pride and rivalry? A good idea or not?

Not really. Half the folk on here don't know what county they live in, let alone have pride in it.

Edited July 18, 2023 by Griff

[17 stone giant]

6 hours ago, Copa said:

What’s the point of building huge oval stadiums for athletics when the locals will most likely want to use it for rectangular field sports afterwards? And compelling hosts to build huge white water centres and hockey centres etc when they’d never use them again afterwards… 

I agree, especially with regards to the latter point about white water centres. I do love the Olympics though - especially the stadium events - so I'm hoping that technology will come to the rescue in terms of new/converting stadiums. I'm thinking in terms of movable stands or ways that an end can be easily converted etc.

I will still email the IOC with my idea for rectangular running tracks, just in case the technology route fails.

[Henson Park Old Firm]

 

[yipyee]

17 hours ago, Toby Chopra said:

I find it astonishing the state had committed A$2.6 billion to host the games - an 11 day event. (And Australian governments in total A$7 billion for the Brisbane Olympics.)

We put on the three 2021 RLWCs for government support of just A$50mln, surely there's value in there for someone to host the 2025 RLWC.

They need to build stadia and housing etc which will have a legacy.

Our world cup happens in existing stadiums and players stay in hotels..

[The Hallucinating Goose]

Alberta have cancelled their bid for the 2030 Commonwealth Games.

So the 2022 host had to be changed cos the original couldn't host it and the 2026 and 2030 games have had cities pull out because they can't afford to put it on. 

[Spidey]

59 minutes ago, The Hallucinating Goose said:

Alberta have cancelled their bid for the 2030 Commonwealth Games.

So the 2022 host had to be changed cos the original couldn't host it and the 2026 and 2030 games have had cities pull out because they can't afford to put it on. 

Will this be the end of the best of the rest games?

[gingerjon]

44 minutes ago, Spidey said:

Will this be the end of the best of the rest games?

I suspect you’ll see the sports it’s important for - netball, athletics, swimming, bowls (?) - run their own Commonwealth tournaments but, yes, that surely has to be the end now.

[The Hallucinating Goose]

56 minutes ago, Spidey said:

Will this be the end of the best of the rest games?

I can't see it recovering from all this. Interest has been waning for quite a long time now anyway so it's probably about time they let it die. 

[Damien]

I must admit I've always been a bit meh about the Commonwealth games and have had always thought of it ad being a bit pointless.

Like the Olympics it has suffered from sporting bloat with many sports that shouldn't be in these tournaments added,  which has made costs spiral. Stuff like Rugby Sevens and T20 Cricket doesn't need to be in the tournament. Obviously the Olympics has done this to a much greater degree with the likes of Football, Golf and Tennis which I just find ludicrous.

I think to survive these tournaments need to get back to the basics of what they are about and the sports where these tournaments are genuinely the pinnacle.

[The Future is League]

4 hours ago, Damien said:

I must admit I've always been a bit meh about the Commonwealth games and have had always thought of it ad being a bit pointless.

Like the Olympics it has suffered from sporting bloat with many sports that shouldn't be in these tournaments added,  which has made costs spiral. Stuff like Rugby Sevens and T20 Cricket doesn't need to be in the tournament. Obviously the Olympics has done this to a much greater degree with the likes of Football, Golf and Tennis which I just find ludicrous.

I think to survive these tournaments need to get back to the basics of what they are about and the sports where these tournaments are genuinely the pinnacle.

The commonwealth games is past his sell by date. It's time to bin it

[The Hallucinating Goose]

4 hours ago, Damien said:

I must admit I've always been a bit meh about the Commonwealth games and have had always thought of it ad being a bit pointless.

Like the Olympics it has suffered from sporting bloat with many sports that shouldn't be in these tournaments added,  which has made costs spiral. Stuff like Rugby Sevens and T20 Cricket doesn't need to be in the tournament. Obviously the Olympics has done this to a much greater degree with the likes of Football, Golf and Tennis which I just find ludicrous.

I think to survive these tournaments need to get back to the basics of what they are about and the sports where these tournaments are genuinely the pinnacle.

This would be the only way to keep it going. It would be like the Francophone Games which has just 8 sports in it and takes place over only about 10 days or so. Even the Francophone Games has had problems with hosts though with this year's edition having its initial host pull out and the games being postponed a couple of times. 

Nah, I say its time to let it die. 

[Futtocks]

The news doesn't get any better: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/dec/04/commonwealth-games-in-turmoil-as-gold-coast-drops-bid-to-host-in-2026 

[Midlands hobo]

5 hours ago, Futtocks said:

The news doesn't get any better: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/dec/04/commonwealth-games-in-turmoil-as-gold-coast-drops-bid-to-host-in-2026 

I fear they have had their day. Either complete revamp (x games) or die what's the future of Olympics lite.

[Futtocks]

Just now, Midlands hobo said:

I fear they have had their day. Either complete revamp (x games) or die what's the future of Olympics lite.

There was some talk of it being hosted by a country, rather than a city, and using existing facilities, but even so that's a downward step in prestige for the event.

A shame, as many recent CGs have been very decent events.

[Midlands hobo]

I like the fact bowls was always a sport. You look at some Olympic events and wonder seriously how.