We have every sympathy for the officials who are working to identify a new hosting option, and we hope the Games will go ahead as scheduled in 2026.

However, it’s important to emphasise in this context that the UK remains very much open for business. We believe the popularity of major events remains very high among sports fans and the general public, as well as with host cities and the Government. Together, we consistently offer major event organisers high attendances and passionate crowds.

This will be illustrated at the Cycling World Championships, which is under way in Glasgow. For the first time, 13 cycling disciplines will be staged at the same event, and the numbers taking part are impressive.

With more than 6,800 athletes from 125 nations taking part at the event that, at £65 million ($82.8 million/€75 million), will cost a great deal less than the hosting of last year's Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

At UK Sport, we understand the need to embrace innovation to satisfy the changing consumption habits of sports fans. It’s not long ago that the average fan was happy to attend an event simply to watch the sport. Today’s fans want multiple consumption options, and event experiences that are socially conscious, inclusive, and showcase much more than just sport. 

Innovation will be at the heart of events that continue to succeed. We recognise the need to create new event delivery structures that in turn deliver attractive experiences for a new, youthful audience. 

The rights owners of traditional events also need to adapt to keep up with those changing consumer trends.

Of course, the cost of staging events will always be a key consideration - and in the UK, the public funding model has become more nuanced and increasingly linked to social outcomes. This chimes with UK Sport’s ambition to inspire positive change and showcase extraordinary sporting moments.

Major events should be a catalyst to create authentic social impact. The reasoning for hosting events should be more rounded rather than simply focusing on the bottom line. UK Sport will now fund only events that consider equality, diversity and inclusion, sustainability and social impact as key elements of their event delivery.

Social impact has to be at the heart of any event right from the start, even when weighing up the feasibility of a bid. We believe that the long-term benefits of any major sporting occasion are critically important - arguably, as noteworthy as the events on the field of play.

Any celebration of top-level sport must deliver lasting social and economic benefits - and the UK is leading the way when it comes to delivering sport with social impact at its core.

Recent reports into three major events staged in the UK in 2022 have shown the value of this approach. They also highlighted in vivid detail the positive contribution that hosting such events can make to regional and national communities and economies.

i) The Rugby League World Cup

•              Social impact programmes around the tournament "brought communities together, broke down barriers, changed perceptions and gave people something to be proud of".

•              300 mental fitness workshops were delivered to nearly 12,000 young people.

ii) The UEFA Women's EURO 2022

•              The event generated economic activity valued at £81million ($103 million/€93.6 million) across the eight host cities and supported 1,200 full-time equivalent jobs.

•              2.3 million more women and girls played football post-tournament compared to the prior season. Additionally, 84 per cent of surveyed spectators say that UEFA Women's EURO 2022 has improved their perceptions of women's football.

iii) World Gymnastics Championships

•              The championships generated a £5.6million ($7.1 million/€6.4 million) boost for the Liverpool economy, and made a significant sporting and social impact. By 2024, 3,000 aspiring young gymnasts will have attended coached taster sessions in 47 city schools.

•              30 of the event's 400 volunteers were inspired to gain accreditation to work in local gymnastics clubs. And 11 people have become British Gymnastics Foundation "Love To Move" instructors working in care homes in the region.

These three events demonstrate sport’s unique ability to deliver economic, social and participation benefits. Such occasions can play a key role in raising the profile of a city. Look at Liverpool’s enhanced status as a destination thanks to a series of events that has also included the 2019 Netball World Cup and the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest.

Major events should be a catalyst to drive conversations and forge productive partnerships. Local schools and communities can feel a sense of genuine involvement in the preparation for an event - and then savour the inspirational top-level action.

Of course, the economic reasoning is still important. Nobody would claim it is wise to host an event that is likely to leave a damaging hole in a local or national budget. But we believe that social impact must be a key part of our decision-making process for the sporting moments we want the UK to stage.

Our event hosting approach benefits from fantastic support from The National Lottery and the Government. This enables us to think expansively about event hosting options.

Social impact is key to our strategic thinking around the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup and - if the bid by the four home nations and the Republic of Ireland is successful - the men’s UEFA European Championship in 2028.

Every nation has its own choices to make and its own path to follow. But we believe the UK remains at the forefront of delivering major sports events that inspire the nation, create economic benefits and make a significant and lasting positive difference to communities.

A major sporting milestone does not have to become a millstone around the neck of a host city or nation.