“Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does,” said Nelson Mandela speaking at the inaugural Laureas Sports Awards in 2000.

His voice for advocacy and sport still inspires Scots to this day. Thousands of people have etched their mark on Nelson Mandela Place, and the community has bound together generations of nationalities through physical activity.

And there are no better ways to do this by hosting a festival of sport. Three Commonwealth Games have been held in Scotland - Edinburgh 1986, Glasgow 2014 and now Glasgow 2026, where just shy of 180 athletes will have donned the saltire vest.

In comparison, at Paris Olympics 2024 a Scottish contingent of 34 featured in a team of 327 athletes Team GB. That is a paltry 10%. Of course, if we were to become an independent nation, our Olympians would rise, considering the depth of our athletics and swimming talent. Our track and field stars have earned silverware in 11 of the last 12 major championships whilst in the pool we have won 27 medals combined from Tokyo 2022 and Paris 2024.

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But this is why the Game’s must be cherished, because it allows athletes from our communities the chance to represent our flag against a third of our planet. The Games in 2014 were a huge success and set a precedent for greater performances.

The highest pool of 310 athletes represented Scotland in 2014 on our way to finishing 4th in the medal table – a record........

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