It is combined with concerns among senior officials over the lack of bidders for the 2022 Commonwealth Games. 

A proposal by Malaysia's CGF President Prince Tunku Imran at the General Assembly in Glasgow last August to move the headquarters to his home city was defeated.

But an Extraordinary General Assembly has been called in Kuala Lumpur this Friday (January 24) to discuss the move, along with a number of other issues.

The plan is opposed by several Commonwealth Games Associations, including most of Africa, who have been supported by Sir Andrew Foster, chairman of Commonwealth Games England (CGE).  

He has written to colleagues, claiming the Executive board is out of touch with the membership amid concerns about its behaviour. 

Andrew Foster, President of the CGE, wrote a two-page letter last month to colleagues in which he raised concern that the Executive Board "appears to be out of touch" ©ITG



At the General Assembly in Glasgow a majority of the 71 delegates opposed the plan, angry at the fact it had been presented as a fait accompli by Prince Tunku.

The professional staff had even been presented with redundancy letters on the morning of the meeting only to have them withdrawn later in the day after the relocation plan was shelved. 

Foster has claimed that Tunku and his Executive Board are "out of touch with the membership and is not vigorously carrying through the new strategy and modernisation agenda.

"This situation has deteriorated and members have not been fully involved."

Commonwealth Games Federation President Prince Tunku has hit back at claims he and the Executive Board is "out of touch" with the membership ©ITG


Sir Andrew's letter drew an angry response from Tunku, who accused him of being "both discourteous and disingenuous" and of "promulgating a number of inaccuracies". 

Tunku, nevertheless, faces a major battle to persuade countries to back his plan to move the offices from London, which the CGF has been based for more than 80 years, to Kuala Lumpur.

He claims Kuala Lumpur had been identified following a study carried out in 2012 by professional services firm KPMG who considered a number of factors, including tax efficiency and the costs of overheads.

The fact he is based in Kuala Lumpur is a coincidence, he has claimed. 

The lack of bidders for 2022 is also due to be discussed at the meeting in Kuala Lumpur with no city having officially come forward ahead of the deadline in March to declare their interest.

Early hopes that London would bid - using the facilities built for the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics - have faded after the initial enthusiasm of Mayor Boris Johnson appeared to wane. 

Other possible candidates, including Nigerian capital Abuja and Singapore, also have so far failed to follow up their initial interest in bidding with firmer proposals. 

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected].


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