Hastings was on hand to officially open the Athletes' Village which will now begin welcoming the expected 6,500 athletes and team officials from the 71 nations and territories of the Commonwealth.

The Village Mayor is a long-standing tradition of the Games and in an effort to inject a flavour of the Scottish Highlands; organisers have dubbed the role as Chieftain for the duration of the Games which run from July 23 to August 3.

In addition, for the first time ever at a Commonwealth Games, the Glasgow 2014 Athletes' Village will have more than one official representative as the names of seven other Chieftains were also unveiled today.

They will be led by six-time Olympic champion Sir Chris Hoy and fellow Olympic gold medallist Katherine Grainger.

Scottish Commonwealth Games gold medal winners David Carry and Steve Frew will be joined by Scotland's most capped hockey player, Rhona Simpson, and Olympic and Commonwealth hammer thrower Shirley Addison.

Adventurer and broadcaster Mark Beaumont, who has followed the Queen's Baton Relay on its journey through the Commonwealth, will also act as a Chieftain, with each one set to perform duties for three or four days.

Hastings is one of eight Chieftains named today who will be on duty at the Athletes' Village over the next few weeks ©Glasgow 2014



"The Village is key to the overall success of the Games and a vital component is to make sure all the athletes and visitors receive the warmest of Scottish welcomes when they arrive," said Glasgow 2014 chief executive, David Grevemberg.

"I'm sure each of our Chieftains will bring huge amounts of energy and personal experience to the role.

"As official representatives of the Organising Committee, they will perform duties such as hosting ceremonies and greeting dignitaries, as well as engaging with athletes and team officials to ensure Scotland's warm welcome and hospitality are experienced."

Chieftains will also be selected during the Games from Team Scotland medal-winners, enabling Scottish successes to play host at their home Games, according to organisers.

As part of their duties, the Chieftains will preside over each of the 71 official team welcome ceremonies between today and July 22.

They will meet and greet dignitaries which will include official visits from members of the Royal Family as well as heads of state and Governments.

They will also carry out tours of the Athletes' Village which is situated in Glasgow's east end close to Celtic Park, the venue for the Opening Ceremony, and the Emirates Arena and Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, which will host badminton and cycling events respectively.

As the first Chieftain in post, Hastings hosted the official opening of the Village which saw a performance of dance and theatre by the National Youth Theatre (NYT).

The National Youth Theatre were on hand to put on a special performance at the official opening of the Glasgow 2014 Athletes' Village ©Glasgow 2014



"It is a real honour to be selected as the first Chieftain of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games Village and have a chance to play my part in the biggest sporting and cultural event to happen in Scotland," said 52-year-old Hastings, who scored 667 points in 61 international matches for Scotland's rugby union side.

The NYT show featured dozens of performers in kilts and tartan trousers who danced with pop-up tents and on top of giant cargo boxes.

It featured musicians, singers and dancers from across the UK and Glaswegians from the NYT's inclusion workshops in Easterhouse.

"Seeing the National Youth Theatre perform was brilliant and it really encapsulates everything you expect the Games village to represent, it was positive, colourful and energetic and that's what's going to be here over the next fortnight or so," added Hastings.

"It's a bit different, and I'll be meeting the different teams and visitors, although I'll be looking out for the rugby sevens guys.

"We'll be wishing them all well and if we can give them some advice hopefully we can do that."

The Glasgow 2014 Athletes' Village is operational 24 hours a day and is divided up into four residential areas called Castle, Clan, Loch and Mountain.

It has a temporary 2,000-seat, 24-hour dining hall, gym, a medical facility, a retail zone and a recreational space.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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