DUNCAN MACKAY EDITOR, INSIDETHEGAMES
T
he two P words - pandemic and Putin - have caused massive upheaval in the world of sport but the Commonwealth Games could bring about some much-needed normality. Birmingham’s hosting of the “Friendly Games” has promised top class sport in front of packed arenas, which would be a breath of fresh air after what we’ve faced over the past two years. A large number of sporting events have been cancelled or dramatically relocated due to coronavirus or the invasion of Ukraine, with athletes losing the spotlight thanks to decisions that were out of their control. This happened most notably at the Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022 Olympics and Paralympics, which largely took place in eerie atmospheres behind closed doors. Some things will inevitably be different in Birmingham, of course, but the Commonwealth Games looks set to be much more like the multi-sport events that we once knew and loved. That is to be celebrated, but the road to this point has not been easy for organisers in the West Midlands city. For starters, Birmingham is a stand-in host as the Games were originally awarded to Durban. When it became clear that the South African city would not be able to stage the event, the English bid came off the substitutes' bench in December 2017 with much less time to prepare.
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If that was not enough of a challenge, organisers then faced the chaos of the pandemic which locked the country down and ultimately led to plans for the Athletes’ Village being scrapped. In this latest edition of The insidethegames.biz Magazine, senior reporter Geoff Berkeley speaks to Birmingham 2022’s big names to find out how they negotiated the complicated road which was in front of them. Commonwealth Games Federation President Dame Louise Martin, Birmingham 2022 chief executive Ian Reid and Birmingham City Council leader Ian Ward all explain how the dream of “Brum” hosting the event turned into a reality. When founding the Games in 1930, Canada’s Bobby Robinson said he wanted them to be “merrier and less stern” and distinct from the more overwhelming Olympics. Chief feature writer Mike Rowbottom explores what makes the Games different, and why they deserve their “friendly” tag. Alongside Birmingham 2022, the inaugural Commonwealth Esports Championships and Commonwealth Esports Forum will be held as the Movement makes its first dart into what is now a booming industry. Junior reporter Eliott Brennan finds out about the events and talks to those in charge about what could become a regular feature at future editions of the Commonwealth Games. Unfortunately, it would be amiss to completely ignore the two P words - which have removed China and Russia from the equation when sports seek hosts for their events. Chief columnist David Owen discovers that the absence of the two countries will have various knock-on effects for everybody involved. This year marks two significant Olympic anniversaries as it is now 50 years since the Munich 1972 Games and a decade since London 2012.
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Olympic historian Philip Barker looks back on the Games in Germany which were tragically marred by the terrorist attack on members of the Israeli team. Mike takes us back in time to London and asks if the legacy goals of the Games have been met now 10 years have passed. Those Olympics have both been and gone, and time could soon be up as well for the Global Association of International Sports Federations. With the International Olympic Committee pushing for the body to be disbanded, Geoff asks what its role is in sport and questions if there is any hope for its revival. If GAISF is in the past, social media behemoth TikTok seems very much like the future. Desk editor Vimal Sankar discovers how sports have embraced the video sharing platform, which has become a new and innovative way of sharing content with the world. If you enjoy this magazine and our yearround coverage of the Olympic Movement, I would like to invite you to make a contribution to support our journalism by logging on to www.insidethegames.biz/ contribute. Every donation, however big or small, will help maintain and improve our work across the world in the years ahead. We believe that Olympic news, and our extensive coverage of events such as the Commonwealth Games, should remain in the public sphere and be free of charge to read. Enjoy the magazine.
Duncan Mackay Editor
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