The 2026 Commonwealth Games have reportedly been revived after spending a year under threat following Victoria’s dramatic decision to withdraw from hosting.
The event was already on the brink before Victoria agreed to host it as a regional event, a significant shift from the success of Melbourne 2006 in the afterglow of the Sydney 2000 Olympics.
The Commonwealth Games were destined for the scrapheap when the Victorian government walked away last year but a familiar host has now emerged.
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The federation has reached an agreement with Scotland for Glasgow to host the 2026 event, according to English journalist Duncan Mackay.
The veteran Olympics reporter said an announcement could come as soon as this week as the sporting world relaxes after Paris 2024.
Glasgow successfully hosted in 2014 when the Commonwealth Games was in its pomp, with nearly 5000 athletes taking part across 17 sports.
But 2026 promises to be pared back significantly to ensure it can go ahead and come in under a projected £150m ($A291m) budget.
The Glasgow event is in line to be partially funded by about £100m ($A193m) of the Commonwealth Games Federation’s $A400m compensation payout from the Victorian government.
When Scotland first offered to step in, organisers said it would be willing to host with as little as 10 sports and up to only 13.
Athletics and swimming are guaranteed to make it while hockey and cycling could also feature given the infrastructure is ready to go.
It is unclear how athletics would go ahead, though, with Hampden Park unlikely to be converted from football as it was last time.
Regardless of the scale, many Australian Olympic athletes will welcome the news of another chance to compete on the world stage before Los Angeles 2028.
Commonwealth Games Scotland chair Ian Reid shared his hope for a revived program in April.
“We know how important the Commonwealth Games is for athletes, sports and supporters, and we remain concerned about the impact the ongoing uncertainty around 2026 is having on everyone concerned,” he said in a statement outlining their plan.
“It is vital that a Games takes place in this cycle, and we are hopeful that a positive outcome can be delivered through the Commonwealth Games Federation’s discussions with other nations.
“We also wanted to ensure that we had left no stone unturned in the search for solutions, should a viable alternative fail to materialise, but recognised the need for a model that did not rely on large public investment.
“Glasgow has a fantastic track record of delivering large sporting events within sensible budgets, with world class facilities and expertise already in place as a legacy of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games a decade ago.
“We believe our concept provides the CGF with a viable, cost effective and exciting solution which importantly won’t involve significant sums of public funding.
“We look forward to discussing the concept further with the CGF, our member sports, athletes and wider partners.”
The CGF previously said it hoped to announce the 2026 host in May but that date came and went without any confirmation, throwing fresh doubt over its future.
The Gold Coast launched an early bid to step in, having hosted in 2018, but never received the backing of higher levels of government.
The CGF later offered the event to Malaysia but that was rejected despite a promised £100m ($A193m) in supporting funds.
The Commonwealth Games have struggled to find a willing host in recent years, and five of the past six editions have been held in Australia or Britain.
The English city of Birmingham, which had been due to host in 2026, stepped in to save the 2022 event after South Africa was stripped of hosting rights over a lack of progress in preparations.
Birmingham’s decision to host in 2022 led to the CGF scrambling to find another host for 2026, setting the scene for the Victorian furore.
– with AAP