Singapore Says No To Hosting 2026 Commonwealth Games, Time For The Games To Retire?

The Commonwealth Games has been seen as an old relic of the British Empire and some think it’s time to leave it behind.

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After all the complaints about Malaysia rejecting the opportunity to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games, our neighbouring country Singapore also said no to the offer.

Singapore’s two sports bodies, the Commonwealth Games Singapore and Sport Singapore, said in a joint statement that they have studied the feasibility of hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games and have decided not to make any bid to host the event. No explanations were given.

Victoria, Australia, first pulled out of the offer due to the higher-than-expected cost needed to run the whole event.

The Games was last hosted in 2022 by the city of Birmingham in England.

Now that Singapore is out of the equation, the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) may consider offering a scaled-back Games to Glasgow, Scotland. Glasgow’s response is expected soon.

Malaysia last hosted the Commonwealth Games in 1998. It was nice while it lasted. Image: TRP File

Calls to abolish the Commonwealth Games

There have been boycotts and calls to abolish the Commonwealth Games over the years as it’s seen as an old relic from the coloniser aka the British Empire.

The Commonwealth Games was first known as the British Empire Games from 1930 to 1950. It was founded to bring together the members of the British Empire and as a means to “increase goodwill and understanding” of the empire.

The members of the British Empire are collectively known as the Commonwealth of Nations, British colonies that have become more independent.

Since then, many former colonies have sought to distance themselves from their old ties to the British.

As we all have learned through history, being colonised wasn’t great for the locals, especially the indigenous groups. Hence, it’s not too far off when some have called the Commonwealth Games, as it’s called today, the “Stolenwealth Games” or the “Plantation Games.”

Holding the Games every four years incurs a huge cost to the host country. While the Games attract spectators and some public attention, the cost often outweighs the benefits.

If the CGF intends to keep holding the Commonwealth Games, it was suggested that the United Kingdom foot the bill instead of burdening the other Commonwealth nations. The idea seems fair when you think about the origins of the Games.

However, another question also arose: What would happen to athletes without the Games?

The Commonwealth Games is largely organised as a round of friendly games among nations that the British once colonised.

If athletes truly want to test their mettle, there are plenty of competitions to join and compete with athletes from other countries on a global scale.

The Commonwealth Games might have started with a friendly or feel-good sentiment, but perhaps it’s time to retire it.

Since it's not gonna happen, I think Malaysia should lead in a petition to abolish Commonwealth activities. Kenapa benda ni kena ada? The empire is crumbling, and I personally think it's an insult that we still have to be nice to our former coloniser https://t.co/NrSI9NyFBP
— 🏴Yoyo Mak Arya🏴 (@aswaliaaa) March 22, 2024