The topic was discussed for the third time in less than a year at today's General Assembly of the CGF here on the eve of Glasgow 2014.

Besides the offer from Kuala Lumpur to move to Malaysia, there was a new proposition on the table from the Government in Cyprus promising tax breaks if the CGF moved there.

An independent report commissioned by Prince Imran, the Malyasian President of the CGF, had claimed there would be significant financial savings if the organisation relocated from Britain, where it has been based since it was founded in 1932 as the British Empire Games Federation.

But the delegates, led mainly by the African and Caribbean members, again made it clear they wanted to remain in London.

Uganda summed up the mood of the meeting by declaring they believed the CGF headquarters should remain in London "because it is the Queen's home". 

The CGF's overheads have been dramatically cut after their relocation from its former offices at a building in Piccadilly owned by EON Productions, the film production company that makes the James Bond movies, to a new location in Old Street in Shoreditch.

There, they are based at offices run by CAN Mezzanine, a company which provides affordable office space exclusively for the social sector.

Some of these savings, though, have been mitigated by the decision of Government agency UK Sport to discontinue its annual £75,000-a-year ($126,300/€92,000) funding to the CGF after September.

Commonwealth Games Federation President Prince Imran has dropped proposals to move the headquarters out of Britain following strong opposition from members ©Getty Images

Prince Imran admitted that the CGF would now have to commit their future to London.

"It is clear that the members want to remain in London," he said.

"The business case was presented clearly to the General Assembly and they have decided that they wish to stay in London.

"There is clearly a strong emotional attachment to being in London and its ties with the mother country and the Queen."

There will be an important change next year, however, as the CGF decided to abolish several honorary posts, including those of secretary and treasurer, roles currently held by Scotland's Louise Martin and Barbados' Austin Sealy. 

They will be replaced by professional experts who will be incorporated onto the CGF Executive Board.

Full details are due to be presented at the CGF's next General Assembly in Auckland on September 2, 2015.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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