Post-colonial realities of the day, economic pragmatism and irrelevance of the former Empire, effectively mean the freshly proposed 10-sport Commonwealth Games will barely draw a nostalgic sigh. Glasgow has stepped in to salvage the 2026 edition, after Australia refused the burden. And the bemused member nations, are frankly staring at a future where these Games, if they survive the relevance debate, look headed in the direction of becoming budgeted affairs, cutting down not only on extravagance but also on some staples like hockey, badminton, squash and TT. The big blow to the quadrennial came not when Durban pulled out of hosting the 2022 edition, though it was a sign of things to come. What struck CWG smack in the face was Victoria, Australia throwing their hands up in the air just two years before the 2026 edition, pleading their inability to host. What further drove in the reality was that neither India, Canada nor Malaysia, with some semblance of economic fortitude among the Commonwealth nations, volunteered to take on the responsibility. South Africa and New …