Transformation 2022 - Host City

Diving set to stay in the Commonwealth Games

England's Tom Daly diving at Delhi 2010 (Photo: Glasgow 2014)

The Commonwealth Games Federation has proposed that diving, which was due to be removed from the Commonwealth Games sports programme, retain its place as an optional discipline for future events.

The proposed changes to the sports programme form part of the CGF’s “Transformation 2022” programme of renewal.

“Are we being inspiring and innovative in our decisions on the sports we have on the programme? Are we driving efficiency and effectiveness to the delivery of this event? Are we looking at affordability and appeal in getting those balances right? Those are the three elements we’re looking at in terms of driving our overall Games proposition to have more inspiring and innovative Games, so the sports on the programme are starting to reflect that,” CGF CEO David Grevemberg told HOST CITY on Wednesday.

In its first draft of Transformation 2022, the CGF proposed reducing the number of optional sports – including diving – from 20 to 10, while increasing the number of compulsory sports from 16 to 10.

The latest version, which has been circulated to the Commonwealth Games Associations in advance of the CGF General Assembly, retains diving as an optional discipline.

“The sports that are on the compulsory programme need to be Commonwealth sports – meaning they need to have the technical engagement, the developmental prioritisation, to promote and enhance their reputation through this partnership and this movement.

“That’s to make sure the compulsory sports programme reflects the Commonwealth’s greatest athletes but also has the commercial attractiveness across the structure. So we’ve given enough flexibility; we have a strong proposition within the compulsory programme.

“At the same time you’ve got these optional sports and disciplines. Track cycling is on the programme; it’s popular in the Commonwealth setting, but the cost and affordability of Velodrome and how widely and regularly practiced those sports are in the Commonwealth and to what level…

“In our last proposition we also included diving, and this will be voted on by the membership in about two and half weeks.”

Transformation 2022 that will be voted on by the CGF membership in Auckland on 1-2 September, when Durban is set to be confirmed as the host city of the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

“There are really exciting debates, discussions and deliberations to go through, to make sure we are all aligned around moving that forward,” said Grevemberg.

David Grevemberg is to speak at HOST CITY 2015 in Glasgow 9-10 November on the session: How Cities and Events Innovate to Thrive. 

CGF backs Durban 2022 subject to finance pledge

The CGF Evaluation Commission commended many features of the bid including the "attractive coastal strip" (Photo: Durban 2022 / Facebook)

The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) Evaluation Commission has recommended that the CGF General Assembly votes for Durban, the sole bidder for the 2022 Games, on 2 September, but that the Host City contract should not be signed until a “critical” financial guarantee is provided.

On publication of the CGF Evaluation Commission Report on Monday, commission Chair Louise Martin said “We are 95% there, and very close to the finish line. We thank our colleagues in Durban and South Africa for their passion, ambition and assurances that many of our comments and requirements will be actioned in time for the vote.

“It is our recommendation that the CGF General Assembly votes to award the 2022 Commonwealth Games to the Host City of Durban, South Africa, but subject to the final and timely delivery of a limited number of outstanding Host City Contract requirements”.

The report described Durban 2022 as an “attractive proposition for the Commonwealth Games” with “long-term development plans that the Commonwealth Games can actively reinforce… Importantly, Durban presents the opportunity for the Commonwealth Games to be hosted in the continent of Africa for the first time… One of the most powerful propositions presented in the Durban 2022 bid is the opportunity for a far-reaching legacy aligned with existing long term development plans of the South African Government and the City of Durban.”

However, the report said it was “critical” that a financial guarantee must be in place before a Host City contract is signed.

“The guarantee covering a potential financial shortfall was not received at the time the Report was finalised, but is expected to be submitted before the General Assembly. This is a critical requirement,” the report stated. 

"The Bid Committee is continuing to work across the three levels of government to secure the guarantee and has advised that the requirement will be achieved. The Ministerial support enjoyed by the bid is also noted. 

“However, should this guarantee not be received prior to the CGF General Assembly, it is recommended the signing of the Host City Contract be deferred until the Guarantee is provided.”

The commission proposed that this must be resolved within 90 days of the General Assembly. 

The report praised SASCOC’s leaders in gaining “strong engagement from and the support of the three levels of government (city, province and national)”, but said the formation of a cross-government committee is essential. 

“The critical coordination role anticipated for the proposed (but not currently constituted) Inter-Ministerial Committee needs to be enabled by an effective cross-government delivery coordination entity, with a focus on integration of government and city support for the Games and the assurance of legacy programmes,” the report said.

“This should be supported by a clearly-defined set of roles and responsibilities for the various government departments, public authorities and other entities that will have a role in the planning and delivery of the Games.”

The commission proposed that this issue be resolved within 180 days of Durban’s appointment as Host City, along with clarification of “integrated development and financing arrangements to ensure delivery of all venues”.

The report also laid down requirements concerning the athletes village. “Delivery obligations, land ownership and funding arrangements need to be fully documented to remove any risk for the future Organising Committee… Durban 2022 is required to confirm to the CGF that the Village design principles and standard of amenity required by the CGF will be met… within 180 days of appointment as Host City.” 

The report also commends and highlights the many positive impacts of Durban’s bid for the Games. 

“Durban’s vision supports and contributes to South Africa’s 2030 National Development Plan and is rooted in the desire to engage citizens (especially young people), athletes and the Commonwealth,” the CGF said in a press release.

“The Games concept features a compact venue plan centred around the sporting super-precinct of the Moses Mabhida Stadium and adjacent coastline, providing excellent opportunities for innovative sport presentation and enhanced athlete experience.”

The report acknowledged that “the CGF should provide more direct and active support for Durban 2022” in line with the CGF’s Transformation 2022 objectives. 

The CGF resolved to “By Q2 2016, and enshrined in the 2022 Host City Contact, establish a Games Delivery Partnership model that positions the CGF and Host CGAs as delivery partners and supports financial, operational and reputational efficiencies and outcomes”.

 

Commonwealth Games transformed to attract aspiring cities

David Grevemberg (left), CEO of the Commonwealth Games Federation pictured speaking at HOST CITY Bid to Win

The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) has launched an ambitious plan called “Transformation 2022” to optimise its sporting movement over the next seven years.

“Now is the time to be ambitious and bold, as we build on our diverse heritage and forward momentum," said CGF president HRH Prince Imran. 

A network of Commonwealth cities is being set up to identify, support and engage with cities that are aspiring to host the Games or develop their sports. 

The issue of good governance also features in the strategic plan.

The sports programme for the Commonwealth Games has been reviewed for the next three Games, with the number of optional sports proposed to be reduced by 10 and the number of compulsory sports to go up by six. 

Sports that are proposed to be dropped from the programme include tennis and sailing, while cricket is set to makes a return in the T20 format.

“A number of core principles drove the proposals, such as depth and scale of participation in the Commonwealth, legacy (especially with regard to the need for purpose-built venues), equality (including increased opportunities for para-sport athletes) and breadth of competition, maximising opportunities for smaller CGAs to win medals,” a spokesperson for the Commonwealth Games Federation told HOST CITY.

 

Commonwealth Sports Cities Network

A core feature of the strategic plan is “to deliver inspirational and innovative Commonwealth Games built on Commonwealth Games and Youth Games, built on friendships and a proud heritage supported by a dynamic Commonwealth sports cities network.”

David Grevemberg, CEO of the Commonwealth Games Federation told HOST CITY: “By 2017 we want to have developed and started to implement a Commonwealth sporting network – to identify, support and engage with cities that are aspiring to host the Games and sport in the Commonwealth.

“So this notion of using sport as the new ‘shipping lane’ to make communities and nations prosperous, peaceful and happy – in order to do that we need to be able transfer, from a city to city basis, what is working and where challenges lie – whether that’s an emerging market, a regenerative market or a sustained market.

“There’s a group already in place called the Commonwealth local governments forum that we’ll be looking to partner with in that area.”

 

Transforming the sports programme

Previously there were 10 compulsory sports and 20 optional ones. The CGF is now proposing 16 compulsory and 10 optional sports. 

Under the proposal, 10 of the previously compulsory sports remain compulsory. These are: aquatics (swimming, inc. para swimming); athletics (inc. para athletics); badminton; boxing (men); hockey; lawn bowls (inc. para lawn bowls); netball; rugby sevens (men and women); squash; and weightlifting.

Six sports that were previously optional have been made compulsory. These are: road cycling; artistic gymnastics; judo; table tennis; triathlon; and wrestling.

Women’s boxing and women’s rugby, previously optional, have also been made compulsory.

The biggest changes proposed are to the optional sports, which have been reduced in number significantly. Aquatics (diving), aquatics (open water swimming) aquatics (synchronised swimming), canoeing, rowing, sailing, softball, tennis, tenpin bowling and taekwondo would no longer feature in the Commonwealth Games programme for 2022, 2026, and 2030.

None of these disciplines set to be removed from the sports programme feature as part of the current Durban 2022 bid proposals.

T20 cricket, wheelchair basketball, para triathlon and para table tennis are new options on the sports programme.

Cricket has only featured in the Commonwealth Games once before, when a 50-over format was included at Kuala Lumpur in 1998.

The introduction of T20 Cricket is an indication that the CGF is promoting sports that are more widely practiced within the Commonwealth nations. 

“We are proposing a mechanism of being able to attract top athletes, creating a Commonwealth rating system by sport that helps not only to promote great sport in the Commonwealth but also to assess how widely they are practiced in different nations,” Grevemberg told HOST CITY. 

“We aim to maximise efficiency and effectiveness in our delivery of a world class event with real community relevance that is both affordable and universally appealing.”

“We feel that stabilising a sustainable sports programme for a period of time, by increasing the number of compulsory sports, helps us to get more efficiencies of scale, by giving us greater certainty in terms of proposing an athletes’ quota system. It allows us to create a more certain product in terms of what we are presenting." 

CGF vice president and chair of the CGF sport committee Bruce Robertson said: “The Sports Programme proposals also have important operational benefits, including a higher degree of certainty in athlete numbers and more flexibility in the optional sports programme, which we believe will support future Host Cities and CGAs in their Games planning.”

The CGF is looking to continue to work with sports not on the Games programme through a new recognised designation of affiliation with the Commonwealth Games Federation for International Federations (IFs). 

“It’s our intention to work with other IFs on developing sport in the Commonwealth,” said Grevemberg. “The movement is much broader than just the Games.”

The new proposed sports programme will be voted on at the CGF General Assembly in New Zealand in September.

 

CGF scrutinises Durban’s African dream

On his way to Durban, CGF chief executive David Grevemberg  met with 18 African CGAs in Lusaka to discuss Transformation 2022

Durban, the only city bidding for the 2022 Commonwealth Games, is being subjected to full scrutiny as the Evaluation Commission conducts a full technical assessment of the bid this week. 

“We want to show the rest of the world that even the cities of South Africa can stand side by side with the great cities of the world,” said Gideon Sam, president of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC).

“We will see this as an African dream and the coming together of Africa.” 

Over four days this week, the Evaluation Commission and Bid Committee will visit several venues, analyse and learn more about the technical aspects of the bid and meet with the government and city partners essential to delivering the Games.

The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) Evaluation Commission is chaired by CGF honorary secretary Louise Martin CBE, who also chaired Glasgow’s bid to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games. 

“As a Commonwealth Sports Movement, we cannot fail to be excited by the prospect of a first Commonwealth Games in Africa, and warmly welcome Durban and South Africa’s bid and congratulate the Durban Bid Team and their local and national partners for all the hard work they have put in so far,” she said.

“This Evaluation Commission, however, has a very important job to do – to analyse and gain a deeper understanding of the technical aspects of the bid and hear firsthand the plans and strategies that will be put in place to deliver an inspiring and inclusive Games for everyone in seven years time. To borrow the bid team’s slogan, we are Ready to be Inspired.”

Addressing the Bid Committee at the start of the visit, she said “Our intention is to work with you and support you, to evaluate the current developments and help optimise them in partnership and in preparation for their endorsement by the CGF General Assembly in September.”

She added that the Commission intends this week “to be the beginning of a candid, collaborative and constructive partnership”. 

Martin is joined on the Commission by David Grevemberg, CGF chief executive; Andrew Ryan, executive director, the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF); Ian Hooper, director of sport and special projects, Glasgow Life; and Maxwell de Silva, secretary general, Sri Lankan Commonwealth Games Association and National Olympic Committee.

“We will be working with the Evaluation Commission to clarify and strengthen the city’s bid,” said Mark Alexander, Chairman of the Durban Bid Committee on Monday.

“We are expecting robust discussion and debate from the Evaluation Commission, but we are confident that our bid is well-grounded, sustainable and will stand up to the most vigorous scrutiny.” 

Bid Committee CEO Tubby Reddy added: “There is no doubt that we have put up a quality bid which will far exceed the expectations of the CGF. We have been meticulous and sensitive to all the demands from the City as well as from the CGF, and we believe that Durban has produced a world-class bid.

“Our belief in bringing the Games to Africa remains firm and very optimistic.”

Durban’s bid will be voted on by all 71 nations and territories of the Commonwealth Games Federation membership at their General Assembly on 2 September 2015. 

The Evaluation Commission will prepare a Bid Evaluation Report to present to the CGF membership no later than one month before the General Assembly.

 

Transformation 2022 in Africa

On the way to Durban, CGF chief executive David Grevemberg visited the IOC’s Sport for Hope Centre in Lusaka, Zambia to meet with 18 Commonwealth Games Associations (CGAs) from African nations as part of a Commonwealth-wide consultation with the CGF membership on Transformation 2022, the Commonwealth Sports Movement’s ambitious agenda for growth and innovation.

“Transformation 2022 aims to place athletes, and the transformational impact of their achievements and performances on citizens and communities, at the heart of the Federation’s vision. And there is no better place to have such powerful discussions than in the incredible sporting continent of Africa,” said David Grevemberg in Lusaka.

“This is a defining moment for our African colleagues, as they unite to support the ambitions of Durban and South Africa in their bid to host an inclusive and inspiring Commonwealth Games in 2022. It is also a defining moment for the Commonwealth Sports Movement, as we plan ambitiously for the future and develop and deliver Transformation 2022 in partnership with our members”.

Welcoming the delegation, Zambia’s Honourable Minister of Youth and Sport, Hon Vincent Mwale MP, said: “African Commonwealth Games Associations have a vital role to play in achieving the Commonwealth Games Federation’s Strategic plan for 2022. 

“The CGF provides a unique arrangement bringing diverse nations together for a common cause - sport. The Commonwealth Movement embraces unity and humanity, impacting citizens and communities across our region and this is critical to foster mutual collaboration and prosperity through sport.”

 

CGF refreshes Transformation 2022 and launches Commonwealth Sport brand

Dame Louise Martin DBE is speaking at Host City 2019, the largest meeting of cities and sports, business and cultural events

At the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) General Assembly in Rwanda, the CGF launched Transformation 2022 Refresh, showcased the organisation’s rebrand as Commonwealth Sport and re-elected President Louise Martin DBE for a second four-year term.

Transformation 2022 is the Commonwealth Sport Movement's Strategic Plan from 2015-2022. Refresh refers to the current period from 2019-2022 following the first four-year phase.

The plan follows detailed member consultation as part of the CGF’s Regional Meeting Programme which commenced following the conclusion of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.

The refresh commits the movement to focusing on delivering inspirational sporting moments, nurturing a powerful sporting movement and activating transformational partnership.

It also establishes a new strategic priority focusing on the Movement’s ambition to ‘Realise Collective Impact’ - focused on athletes and sport for social change – a defining differentiator for the Commonwealth Sport Movement.

This aims to empower and equip athletes as agents of change and advocates for integrity; provide support and opportunities for CGAs; contribute to truth, reconciliation and relief programmes and strengthen the contribution of sport in Commonwealth Cities.

This new strategic priority also includes the future formation of the Commonwealth Sport Foundation.

 

Commonwealth Sport

The “Commonwealth Sport” brand was developed in close consultation with the 71 Commonwealth Games Associations (CGAs).

It reflects a bold, forward looking approach that underpins the CGF’s values of Humanity, Equality and Destiny, the collective work of the six regions and the vision of the Movement.

It is a brand for the entire movement, created by RBL agency in the UK, and replaces the more internally-focused corporate identity, launched back in 2000.

CGF CEO David Grevemberg CBE said: “There really is no better place than Rwanda to strengthen and position Commonwealth Sport as a progressive leader in sport and social change, harnessing the power of sport as a catalyst to unleash our human potential and positively transform lives.

“The Transformation 2022 Refresh will ensure the Commonwealth Sports Movement is in the best possible position to capitalise on the opportunities and mitigate possible risks that lie ahead in a rapidly changing world.  

“It is an important time to galvanise and drive the positive impact of sport on society which is why we have updated and launched an exciting new Commonwealth Sport Brand to keep pace with our ambition.

“This means we aren't just unveiling a new logo and emblem but actually linking our narrative, positioning and meaning. It is about putting the emphasis back on our vision, our values and our athletes.”

 

President Louise Martin re-elected

Dame Louise Martin DBE was re-elected by delegates at the General Assembly four years after she took up the role in 2015, when she became the first female to hold this office.

She said: “Looking back over the last quadrennial, I am overwhelmed by a sense of pride from our collective achievements, at the endeavours of Commonwealth athletes, at the success of our flagship events and how we have adapted and responded to challenges as well as harnessed opportunities.

“Like all families, we are defined by people, how we treat and respect each other and how we work together.

“Let’s continue to deliver on the strategy outlined in the Transformation 2022 Refresh and enjoy this journey as through sport, we build peaceful, sustainable and prosperous communities across the Commonwealth.”

The General Assembly took place at the flagship Kigali Convention Centre with the event marking the ten-year anniversary of Rwanda joining the list of Commonwealth nations in 2009.

It was staged a year before the country hosts the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in 2020 with Commonwealth Secretary General the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland QC in attendance where she delivered a formal address to the Assembly.

Rwanda is the newest member of the Commonwealth and the second country (as well as Mozambique) in the Commonwealth without historic UK ties.

Dame Louise Martin DBE is speaking at Host City 2019, the largest meeting of cities and sports, business and cultural events