King Charles III has formally declared the 23rd Commonwealth Games open in Glasgow, bringing the multi-sport event back to the Scottish city after a 12-year absence.
The 2026 edition is a noticeably trimmed-down affair, featuring around 3,000 athletes competing across 10 sports plus six para-sports.
Addressing the gathering, the King said: “As we gather, we celebrate the dedication and talent of every athlete and team.”
He also spoke of the value of building “a harmonious and durable future” through a shared love of sport.
The occasion doubled as the first indoor opening ceremony in Commonwealth Games history, staged at the 14,000-capacity Hydro arena.
Organisers have delivered the reworked Games at roughly a quarter of the cost of Glasgow’s 2014 event, with the programme cut from 19 sports down to 10.
Among the standout names in action are Scotland’s Josh Kerr, who recently broke a 27-year-old world record, while a keenly awaited javelin duel between Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem and India’s Neeraj Chopra is also on the cards.
Source: Punch.
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