Scotland have been offered a multi-million-pound investment from Commonwealth Games Australia to help save the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
In an unprecedented move, the CGA have offered additional funding to Scotland to help boost the chances of the Games going ahead after the Victorian government pulled out of hosting duties.
Scotland have already been offered around £100m - $200m (Australian dollars) - by the Commonwealth Games Federation as part of a compensation package after Victoria officials pulled the plug on the Games in Australia.
The offer of multi-million-pound backing from the CGA - the exact figures still unknown - would be on top of the CGF financial backing.
It was previously reported that Scotland could step in to host the 2026 iteration of the Games but the UK government refused to stump up cash for security costs.
An offer to share the financial risk of the Games was made by the UK government to Scotland ministers, to the tune of £2.3m, but the request to underwire the entire cost was knocked back.
The Scottish government are firm in their stance that public money will not be used to host the Games in place of Australia.
Scotland last hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2014 when the huge multi-sport event was staged in Glasgow.
“Commonwealth Games Australia welcomes the enthusiasm for the Games by the Scottish and UK governments,” CGA president Ben Houston said. “And we want to do all that we can to make Glasgow 2026 a reality.
“We appreciate that the model is different and that creates perceived financial and reputational challenges. But we have every confidence in the model proposed by Commonwealth Games Scotland.
“As one of the beneficiaries of the settlement with the Victorian government, we today commit a multi-million-pound investment into the Games to be further negotiated with Commonwealth Games Scotland and the Scottish Government.
“Now is not the time to walk away from a Games that has inspired for generations. And we look forward to working collaboratively toward an outcome that benefits Commonwealth nations, their athletes, coaches and fans.”
