Prince Imran, first elected in November 2011 to succeed Jamaica's Michael Fennell, revealed he would stand for a second term at last week's CGF Board meeting in London, it is understood, after which Martin also declared her intention.

Speaking today, Martin, vice-chair of the Organising Committee for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games whose tenure as CGF honorary secretary concludes in September, explained she decided to run for personal reasons rather than due to any desire to remove Prince Imran from his post.

"My position as honorary secretary finishes in September, because the corporate structure is changing," she told insidethegames.

"Having thought long and hard about it, and having been honorary secretary for four Games, I've always had the ambition to become President at some stage, and I think now is the time for me to stand."

"I get along very well with him [Prince Imran].

"He's a friend and I respect everything he's done.

"I had to make a decision about myself and, in my opinion, if I had stood for the vice-presidency, I would have been doing a similar thing to what I was doing before."

Louise Martin pictured carrying the Glasgow 2014 Queen's Baton in St Helena last February ©Glasgow 2014



Prince Imran, President of the Olympic Council of Malaysia since 1998 and a member of the International Olympic Committee since 2006, served eight years as CGF vice-president before assuming the top role.

He has since presided over the successful Games in Scotland, although his tenure has also been clouded by an attempt to move the CGF headquarters from London to Kuala Lumpur, something that was fiercely criticised before being abandoned at last year's General Assembly.

Martin, a former athlete and Scottish team manager who is seen as one of the key figures in the successful Glasgow 2014 bid, has much administrative experience, having also served as chair of Commonwealth Games Scotland from 1999 to 2007.

She was the first female representative on the CGF Board and, if her Presidential bid is successful, would become the first female head in the organisation's history.

But she is keen not to be selected because of her gender, emphasising her experience across five decades of involvement in the Commonwealth fraternity, which also included organising the inaugural Commonwealth Youth Games, held in Edinburgh in 2000.

"I want to be elected for what I can do and what I can give back to the movement," she said.

Martin highlighted raising the levels of engagement and participation across the 71-member region as key aims over the next four years, particularly within the smaller nations and territories, as well as building on the successful momentum of Glasgow 2014.

If successful, she would also continue an era of the change within the CGF following the appointment of American David Grevemberg as chief executive last November, with the pair having worked together during the Glasgow 2014 delivery process.

Prince Imran, pictured with cyclist Sir Chris Hoy and Queen Elizabeth II during the Opening Ceremony of Glasgow 2014, is seeking a second term in office ©AFP/Getty Images



Encouraging more countries to bid for the quadrennial event was also described as important by Martin, with getting a strong "strategy" showcasing how bidding can be affordable rather than requiring lavish spending highlighted as key.

This comes after Durban became the sole bidder for the 2022 Commonwealth Games after Edmonton withdrew last month, with Martin head of the CGF Evaluation Commission which will pay an inspection visit to the South African city in April.

Formal applications for the Presidency are not due until May, so it is possible more contenders may declare their intentions to run before then.

But a six-month campaigning process will now begin before the the CGF members cast their votes in the General Assembly taking place in early September in Auckland.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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