Glasgow hailed for saving Commonwealth Games as baton passes to Amdavad

The man responsible for delivering Glasgow 2026 said the city had “saved and reinvented” the Commonwealth Games, three years after its future was plunged into doubt.

Ahead of Sunday’s closing ceremony – which featured a dazzling fireworks display over the River Clyde – Phil Batty recalled how Glasgow stepped up when the original hosts pulled out.

And he believes the legacy of the sustainable, scaled-back Games will shape the future of the multi-sports event.

The Commonwealth flag was last night ceremonially handed over to the Indian city of Amdavad, which will stage the centenary event in 2030.

But Batty said Glasgow’s decision to host the event for a second time in 12 years would never be forgotten.

He told BBC Scotland News: “We have created a Games here that will inspire more nations to host but, probably more importantly, that every nation feels it could host at some point in the next 100 years.”