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CommonWealth Games
Glasgow Gets BVI Support for 2014 Bid
By Dean Greenaway
Nov 12, 2007, 07:50

BVIOC Secretary General Dean "The Sportsman" Greenaway, Commonwealth Games Council for Scotland Chair Louise Martin and Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond, after Glasgow won the bid. Photo>Elaine Gourlay

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka—The British Virgin Islands’ support counted towards Glasgow, Scotland’s winning bid to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games, which was announced during the Commonwealth Games Federation General Assembly that wrapped up in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Friday evening.

Glasgow, who was bidding with Abuja, Nigeria for the right to host the games, received support from 66% of the 71 member body, with a 47-24, advantage over the African state. Unlike the Olympic Games where the host is determined by the 119 IOC members, each Commonwealth Games member has one vote in determining which city gets to host the games. During its Oct 30 executive committee meeting, the BVI Olympic Committee threw its support behind Glasgow’s bid.

“This is a dream come true,” said Louise Martin, the chair of the Commonwealth Games Council for Scotland. “This is what we worked for; this is what I wanted since 2002 and I convinced the former First Minister to go with it and he did. His replacement has taken over and he’s backing it too, so this is just tremendous.”

The process towards hosting the games began with three participants including Halifax, Canada, who dropped out of the running a week after visiting the BVI earlier this year, when Glasgow also visited.  Representatives from Abuja did not visit the BVI, but BVIOC officials visited both Abuja and Glasgow in August and September.

Scotland's First Minister Alex Scotland, Commonwealth Games Federation President Mike Fenell and Commonwealth Games Council for Scotland Chair Louise Martin, at a post bid press conference. Photo>Dean "The Sportsman" Greenaway

Glasgow has made the athletes the focus of their bid in hosting the games and appointed a 20 member athletes commission, from which representatives will sit on the organizing committee Martin said. “They will make sure that we deliver exactly what we have said if not better,” she stated.

Noticing what has happened in past games, Glasgow intends to appoint a Commonwealth Games Association services director when it names its team to execute the planning for the games. Martin said Glasgow saw this position as being important, because during last year’s games in Melbourne, Australia for example, the members of the Commonwealth did not get a lot of information early in the process.

“They have to be given the information when it’s required,” she said. “I think that if we can get somebody working with them right from the very beginning, so that we can dovetail all the requirements they’ll know what’s happening at the games and also keeping sports at the top of their agenda to make sure the athletes can have the best for themselves.”

The BVI has been participating in the Commonwealth Games since making its first appearance in 1990, in Auckland, New Zealand. Athletics, cycling and squash are the BVI sports eligible for the games