GUERNSEY athletes will be going to Glasgow for the 2014 Commonwealth Games. There were wild celebrations in Scotland yesterday when it was announced that the city had beaten Nigerian capital Abuja’s bid to host the Games.
‘It’s absolutely fantastic,’ said Guernsey Commonwealth Games Association honorary life president Owen Le Vallee.
‘They are so far ahead with their facilities and the programmes they’ve got. Also, with the funding they’ve got, there won’t be a problem anywhere.
‘It will be ideal for Guernsey as we’ll be able to send a team from those just not in the running but also from young people who will able to get good experience.’
Guernsey middle-distance runner Lee Merrien competed at his first Commonwealth Games in Manchester in 2002.
He thinks that Glasgow having the Games has its plusses and minuses.
Merrien will be 35-years-old in 2014 and feels that it will be his last Games.
‘They are the best prepared for the Games and I think from an organisational point of view it’s the right decision, but it would have been nice to go somewhere warmer,’ he said.
It will cost £288m to stage the Games. Glasgow City Council has agreed to provide 20% of this cost with the Scottish Executive coming up with the rest.
It is planned to rejuvenate the run down East End of the City.
Scotland’s national football stadium Hampden Park will hold the athletics competition while the National Indoor Sports Arena and Velodrome, that was going to be built whether the bid was successful or not, will host the cycling events.
‘It’s absolutely brilliant. It’s good for cycling and it forms part of the whole development programme for track cycling where Great Britain is the top of the world,’ said the Guernsey Velo Club president Gary Wallbridge.
‘It’s going to be fantastic up there. There’s a couple of velodromes going up, with the one in Glasgow and there will be one for the London Olympics, which is good.’
The chairman of the GCGA, Peter Sirett, was one of the 71 delegates who voted at the Commonwealth Games Federation’s meeting in Sri Lanka.
Glasgow took 47 of the votes to Abuja’s 24.
Swimming coach Alison Frankland, who has been to four Games, believes Glasgow being given the accolade is good news for Guernsey’s competitors as the traveling has been kept to a minimum.
‘It’s nice that it’s on our door step and I’m delighted for Glasgow because they’ve worked so hard on their bid,’ she said.
‘I’m pleased for them and we can now look forward to a great Games in 2014. Every Games always leaves a legacy so it’s great for Glasgow.’
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