体坛英语新闻：Commonwealth Games return to Scotland

NAIROBI, July 12 (Xinhua) -- Just days before, the curtains raise over the British colony for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. It is not yet clear of what to make of the competition shunned and loved by many across the globe.

A colonial relic or a nostalgic trip down memory lane? Take your pick, the jury is still out and in no rush to deliver a verdict.

But the ultimate goal to bring together format Britain colonies under the umbrella of the commonwealth bonds well to the ideals of sports.

No one really quite knows what to make of the Commonwealth Games any more. The critics dismiss the Games as little more than an imperial anachronism that has no place in the 21st century.

But the supporters argue that the Games are more relevant than ever before.

There will be no China or America or Russia or Germany or Japan, but this is still a significant worldwide event for a lot of countries.

The games, which start on July 23 - August 3, are described as the third largest multi-sport event in the world, after the Olympic Games and the Asian Games.

"We all understand the debate about the Commonwealth Games, but the fact remains that the Games matter to a lot of people in a lot of countries and is here to stay. Kenya is sending a contingent of 195, a third being joy riders," Eliud Kipchoge, who categorically declined to join the Kenya team to the 2006 Melbourne Games.

Apart from athletics, swimming, rugby sevens and boxing in which Kenya's dominance has curved a niche, it is hard to determine the relevance of the other 11 disciplines that the country will be parading at the games.

By the Kenyan standards, majority of the competitors in the what is called "minor" sports, are trounce way before they advance to the medal brackets.

"This explains why several elite athletes are not going to Glasgow and instead opt to seek lucrative races in the Diamond League meetings," said Kipchoge.

Overall team caption and Olympic 3,000m champion Ezekiel Kemboi is the only one who has his full concentration on the games. It will be his fourth after his debut in Manchester.

Three-time world 3,000m steeplechase champion Ezekiel Kemboi and Olympic weightlifter Mercy Obiero were confirmed as the overall team captains.

"I have made team four times and three times as the overall team captain. This is my last time competing in Commonwealth Games and I want to win gold medal and allow young crop of athletes to take over the steeplechase. It's good I will compete in the presence of Ben Jipcho, who laid the foundation for us in the steeplechase," said Kemboi.

Of course, international competitions are all about national pride, irrespective of the caliber of opposition. That explains why the focus, not only for Kenyans but the entire Commonwealth Games family, will be on who will reign at the end of the games on August 3.

Particularly, local athletes must focus on defending the sixth place finish after the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi where Kenya is under pressure to improve on its medal tally of 32 - 12 gold, 11 silver and nine bronze medals - from athletics, swimming and boxing disciplines.

"The games are here, and you are elite athletes. Be careful on what you consume, what you use as medication and who you associate with," said Stephen Soi, the Kenya team Chief de Mission.

Rugby Sevens, a new area where Kenya has reigned supreme on the International Rugby Board (IRB) World Series, is hopeful they will break the jinx and improve from their fourth place finish four years ago and make it to the medal dias.

Other disciplines like table tennis, bowling, cycling and shooting are more interested in the exposure than securing medals as the bar has been raised and this is the only way that the government comes in the sport willingly.

Boxing, will be out to change the notion after four of its six boxers were sent home for overweight in Malaysia in 1999 and went ahead to lose with the four boxers they took to Manchester in 2003.

They got three medals in Melbourne, and one in Delhi. Kenya boxing team, Hit Squad, has entered 10 boxers this time round and have high hopes of doing well. They even have a women's team.

Australia, India, England, South Africa and New Zealand were the top countries in the medal count four years ago.

"This is a diverse group of countries and people from all around the world who share common values, and that's the beauty of it. This is not the Olympics, and no one is pretending it is. Ninety-nine per cent of the athletes really are just amateurs, who play sport for the fun of it," the chief executive of the Australian Commonwealth Games Association Perry Crosswhite said.

Nowhere will this paradox be better seen than in Glasgow, which will play host to the 20th Commonwealth Games. Opponents said they are a frivolous waste of public funds; supporters insist it is money well spent.

The cost of staging the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow is to rise by 80 million, which officials are blaming on the current economic crisis. Originally, 373 million was budgeted for the Games.

But organisers claim that economic circumstances have changed dramatically since the figures were first compiled in 2006. This figures, however, does not include the escalating price of security, which is being borne by the federal and state governments. The total bill will probably never be known.

About 5,000 media will cover the 14-day event and tourism officials expect about 90,000 visitors to Glasgow.

Australia are the most successful contingent in Commonwealth Games history. Australia topped the medals count at each Commonwealth Games since 1990.

New Zealand, South Africa and India are the next most successful nations, but Kenya, Nigeria, Jamaica and Malaysia also have impressive records.

Only four sports, including athletics, swimming, boxing and lawn bowls, remain from the original schedule of 1930.

Cycling was included in 1934, weightlifting in 1950, then badminton and shooting in 1966 and gymnastics in 1978.

The remaining sports, hockey, netball, rugby, squash, table tennis and triathlon, are all new additions, introduced in 1998 and 2002.

Basketball made its debut in Melbourne and women basketball will have its first show in Glasgow.