Glasgow win race to host 2014 Games

On Friday 9th November it was announced that Glasgow is to be the host city of the 2014 Commonwealth Games. The announcement came at the general assembly of the Commonwealth Games Federation in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Glasgow was competing with the City of Abuja, Nigeria, and certainly both cities had a very strong bid and made good accounts of themselves over the three year bid process.

Representatives from the Northern Ireland Commonwealth Games Council were present at the General Assembly for the announcement

Louise Martin, Head of the Glasgow Bid Team, made a presentation to the Northern Ireland Commonwealth Games Council in Belfast earlier this year. In her appeal for support from Northern Ireland she emphasised the close connection between Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The Northern Ireland Delegates praised the bids of both cities and the outcome was never clear until the final announcement and it emerged that Glasgow's margin of victory was greater than expected.

Commenting on the announcement Chairman Robert McVeigh stated; "we are pleased for our neighbours and it is great that the games are coming so close to home, but we have sympathy for Abuja, the first African City to bid for the Games".

"The Commonwealth Games will be nearer than ever before and we can look forward to strong support for our team at these Games."