Scottish Hockey is disappointed after receiving confirmation that hockey will not be one of the sports at Glasgow 2026.
After Victoria, Australia, pulled out of hosting the Games in 2026, finding a solution that could sustain the Commonwealth Games was the priority. For Scotland to bring the Games back to Glasgow it was clear there would have to be compromise to the programme to financially deliver the event.
Although it’s great news that Glasgow will host the Commonwealth Games in 2026, we’re hugely disappointed that hockey is not included, and feel for all the athletes, staff and officials who will miss out.
Hockey is a core sport in the Commonwealth Games and has been included in every Games since its debut at Kuala Lumpur 1998, and Scottish Hockey, alongside other commonwealth nations, lobbied hard for the sport’s inclusion in the Games.
With the legacy of 2014 still fresh in the memory, including the development of the Glasgow National Hockey Centre as part of the Games in Glasgow, Scottish Hockey CEO Derek Keir said:
“We are deeply disappointed that hockey won’t feature in Glasgow 2026. Hockey enjoys representation from a wide diversity of people, and Commonwealth nations, and Scottish Hockey worked hard to lobby alongside a number of other Commonwealth Nations and the FIH. Fundamentally we are so disappointed for our players, officials, and support staff who will miss out on the experience.”
The Commonwealth Games Federation is clear that any decision not to include a sport in the 2026 sports programme does not impact or set a precedent on the sport’s position in future Games.
Derek Keir continued, “Scottish Hockey is looking forward to an exciting year in 2025 with international teams participating at the top end of our sport. Our athletes, staff and officials are performing on the biggest stages in international hockey and we look forward to cheering them on as they proudly fly the flag for Scotland.”
