Last week [Thursday, 4 August], Scottish Secretary Alister Jack travelled to Birmingham for the Commonwealth Games, where he enjoyed seeing Team Scotland compete and observing how the competition continued Glasgow 2014’s legacy.
After supporting Team Scotland in the boxing and badminton competitions, he met badminton player and opening ceremony flag bearer Kirsty Gilmour.
Then he went to Scotland House, the athletes’ temporary residence while competing for Team Scotland, and loved learning more about the legacy projects and charitable endeavours the Commonwealth Games support.
Team Scotland had accumulated 51 medals by the time the competition came to an end on Monday [8 August], including 13 golds, making it their most successful competition outside of Scotland.
Prior to the ceremony of closure, the Scottish Secretary said:
“From Eilish McColgan following in her mother’s footsteps, to George Miller and Rosemary Lenton becoming our oldest ever gold medallists, the Birmingham Commonwealth Games have kept us thrilled and inspired in equal measure.”
“I was lucky enough to see some of the action live last week, where cheering on Team Scotland was a highlight of my summer. With a total of 51 medals, including 13 golds, the games have undoubtedly been a roaring success for the team.”
“My warmest congratulations go to all the athletes who took part, and to Birmingham for putting on such a fantastic show.”