Commonwealth Games Federation President Chris Jenkins during their interview in Nairobi on October 6, 2024,
Chris Jenkins, who heads the governing body of the Commonwealth Games, is an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) with a career in business. He has been to Ghana, Benin, Eswatini, Rwanda, and now Kenya, which is hosting the Commonwealth Sport Africa and Europe Regional Forum - a first for Africa. He represented Wales as a rower at the 1986 Commonwealth Games before serving as the CEO of Commonwealth Games in Wales for 16 years. Our writer AYUMBA AYODI talked to him about his vision for the Games
Question: How has your stay in Kenya been since your arrival on Thursday?
Answer: I feel home away from home. Nothing can express my delight realising my dream of visiting Kenya, a country of legendary sportsmen and women. It’s not my last…that I can promise. I held an honest conversation with officials from Kenya Commonwealth Game associations for able-bodied and para on Friday.
It was important getting to know everyone. The visit to the Nairobi National Park, Animal Orphanage and Giraffe Centre on Saturday was an amazing experience.
The Commonwealth Games is more than sports since we get to know the great diversity of people, especially their culture as a family. The only way you can understand a family is to go to the person’s home and talk to them, experience what their life is about. It’s a whole new experience in Kenya.
Q: Commonwealth Games seem to be losing prestige, with most countries facing financial difficulties and unable to host the Games. What is the way out?
A: We have a bright future and let the world be assured. I want the Commonwealth Games to be sustainable and attractive and that is why we have reset and remodeled our programmes so as to attract cities to host the Games.
We want to reduce the costs of hosting by 60 percent and explore innovative solutions which allow more countries to host or co-host the Games. We are encouraging the countries not to build villages or new stadia but use the existing facilities like hotels, university and college hostels. They can only build new stadia only if that particular country wants. We want them to work with what they have as we co-create. Whatever the target or legacy we can deliver together.
The Games haven’t lost its allure but we have rescaled by putting back the Commonwealth back to Commonwealth Sports. We don’t want the same countries hosting the games. These Games are the pinnacle of many athletes’ careers.
We’ve been trying to reposition ourselves with governments to see the value of the games by engaging with sports ministries and heads of governments. The games bring families together, which create diplomatic wealth, sports wealth, social wealth and economic wealth.
We must develop and strengthen the Commonwealth Games Associations so that they can develop capacity in view of delivery of development programmes by engaging the youth more.We want to ensure all voices are heard and that no community is marginalized.
Q: Do we see Africa hosting the Commonwealth Games in the near future?
A: We shall be celebrating the Games centenary in 2030, and Africa is on my mind but let us not get caught up in the dates. We need to work together and see when is the best time since we have got a lot of work to do and 2034 could sound much better and realistic.
It’s my dream to have the games in Africa but let us focus if we can bring the Youth Games to Africa in 2027. I met African sports federations presidents during the African Games in Accra this year and started the discussion.
That discussion continued during the CGF Board meeting in Eswatini and when I visited Gabon. Kenya is another great venue, and I will be going to Togo next. There are a number of counties that can independently host or as a group.
Q: How can CGF make the Games more profitable?
A: There is the burden that comes from cost and when you spend money many governments expect something in return. That is why we are remodeling everything so that countries can avoid building new Athletes Village and stadia but instead go for the existing options that I mentioned before.
Q: What lesson does CGF draw from multiple sports discipline Games such as Olympic Games?
A: We have all along correlated in trying to make multisport games sustainable. The 2024 Paris Olympic Games organisers used the 2022 Commonwealth Games to benchmark for the games. We were quite keen on the 2024 Paris Olympic Games as we prepared for the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games. We have embraced the spirit of cooperation since our ultimate goal is to give athletes fantastic experience at the Games as well as the hosting communities.
Q: What has been your biggest challenge, and achievement so far?
A: Getting the host for 2026 after Victoria pulled out in July last year before the elections has been my biggest challenge. Trying to run a selection process in weeks or months in what should be done years was always going to be a difficult task. However, the goodwill from members with the CGF family coming together has been a humbling experience.
That has seen us make progress in many areas by moving to suitable models. People don’t realise what it takes to have athletes compete. They only look at the final product yet a long time happens in the background.
The Commonwealth Games family is growing especially in Africa where we have new members in Rwanda, Togo, Benin and Gabon.
Q: Why has CGF decided to reduce the number of sports disciplines from 18 to 10 for the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games?
A: Delivering the Games in 18 months in all those sports was going to be challenging for Glasgow but we are looking forward to accommodating more for the 2030 and 2034 Games. We are focusing on products that are there in the Commonwealth Games movement.
We shall announce the sports disciplines that will feature in 2026 Glasgow when we officially unveil the hosting city in two weeks time or so. I know athletes are keen to know if they will be heading back to Glasgow that hosted the 2014 Games. We have steady growth and that is why we want to bring more events to Africa. I have listened to members on what they need done and I will deliver what they want. I will never stop listening to them.
