Commonwealth Games: Your Guide to the Glasgow 2014
Commonwealth Games: Your Guide to the Glasgow 2014
As the curtains close on Wimbledon and the World Cup for another year, the next major sporting event will be taking place this month. The Commonwealth Games 2014 are being held in Glasgow, where 17 sports are scheduled to take place throughout July and August in different areas across the city.
From the precision of table tennis to the agility of gymnastics, there is an eclectic mix of competitive sports to suit any sporting fan. This article will serve as a guide to the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, supplying you with all the necessary information so you can join in this summer.
Competition venues
The Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games offers three compact site areas where competition venues will be located throughout the city, making the most of its sporting and events facilities. Here are three of the main sporting sites home to hockey, field and athletics, and netball during the Games:
1. Glasgow National Hockey Centre.
This facility has been specially designed to host the Glasgow 2014 Hockey competition, consisting of two artificial synthetic hockey pitches. This surface allows for quicker passing, precise ball control and agile technique, encouraging high performance and unmissable games.
2. Hampden Park.
At one time the world’s largest stadium, this venue will play home to track and field athletics during the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games. Designed especially for this event, the playing surface has been raised by 1.9 metres to transform the stadium from a football venue into a top international-standard track and field facility. A warm-up track and jump areas have been constructed next to the stadium for an ultimate athletic experience.
3. SECC Precinct.
This is the largest precinct in the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, where a long list of sporting events will take place, including netball, judo and boxing. The SSE Hydro, which opened in late 2013, is the latest addition to the SECC Precinct and has been specially designed as an amphitheatre-style arena, making it ideal for the sporting programme.
Queen’s Baton Relay
As part of the Commonwealth Games celebrations, the Queen’s Baton Relay travelled the length and breadth of Scotland from 14 June to 23 July, inviting everyone to join in with the countless sports and cultural events in the countdown to the Games. The baton has a message enclosed from the Head of the Commonwealth (currently Queen Elizabeth II) which is read aloud to officially open the Games once the final relay runner hands the baton over. It has visited all the nations and territories of the Commonwealth, and crossed every continent in a journey of more than 100,000 miles, making this Scotland’s biggest ever relay.
Sport Your Trainers campaign
To further encourage public participation, the Sport Your Trainers initiative, which was launched in 2011, aims to inspire young people to forge links with schools in other countries to learn more about each other.
Following on from the success of previous years, Glasgow 2014 requested Scots of all ages and abilities to support this year’s campaign and set themselves a goal for a fitter and healthier lifestyle. Scottish schools were encouraged to be as active as possible on Commonwealth Day (March 10) by taking part in activities such as walking to school, going for runs around the local area or joining a rowing club. All accomplishments were celebrated by participants who proudly wore their trainers on Commonwealth Day to mark their success at taking part in the campaign.
Encouraging the general public to get involved in sporting activities is a positive step towards living a healthier lifestyle. Here at Charles Lawrence we understand how important this is, which is why we provide top quality sports surfaces to boost sports participation and high performance. From multi-use game areas to artificial sports surfaces, all our courts have passed thorough testing to ensure they are in top working order. Our first class designs include field hockey pitches, netball courts and athletic tracks, so no matter what you are searching for we can find the ideal solution for your requirements. Simply give us a call or contact us online today for further information about any of the services we provide – we are always happy to help with any enquiry.
