Glasgow well on track for 2014 as sports arenas begin to take shape

The last Games in Delhi witnessed an undignified scramble to get everything finished on time, but in Glasgow some of the key new venues are on track to be ready years in advance.

Over the past year or so, evidence of that progress has grown almost daily just across London Road from Celtic’s football ground, where the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome and the National Indoor Sports Arena (Nisa) are now two-thirds of the way to completion. Both will be open for business long before the first teams arrive for the Games: the 2013 Junior Track Cycling World Championships will be the test event in the Velodrome, while Nisa is scheduled to be available for community use in around a year’s time.

The velodrome will be a valuable asset in a country which has enjoyed remarkable cycling success but has seen star performers such as Hoy move south in search of decent facilities. Nisa, although less well known at present, will if anything be of greater – and certainly wider – benefit.

It has a less memorable name than the velodrome, and will be the venue only for the badminton competition in three years’ time, so it is no surprise that Nisa has so far failed to make the impact it deserves in terms of publicity. Many Scots still see it as no more than a minor venue which has been tagged along beside the velodrome, whereas it should soon be recognised as one of the most important hubs for a range of sporting activities.

The indoor athletics event which takes place every January at the Kelvin Hall, for example, is expected to relocate to Nisa, where there will be a bigger capacity and a clearer view for all spectators. Boxing, another sport closely associated with the Kelvin Hall, should also become a regular event at Nisa.

Badminton will continue to be among the other spectator sports on show there, while basketball would be another natural fit. With dance and fitness studios, Nisa should be in daily community use, while it is anticipated that the governing bodies of a number of sports will move into its offices.

“We are absolutely delighted with the progress being made at the National Indoor Sports Arena and Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome,” councillor Gordon Matheson, leader of Glasgow City Council, said yesterday. “[Nisa] will become a fantastic sporting arena for both Glasgow and Scotland when complete, a world-class facility able to attract some of the biggest indoor competitions. Already, major events have been confirmed for the venue, including the World Youth Netball Championships in 2013.

“Of course, this will be a key venue for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games when it hosts the badminton and track cycling competitions, and we can look forward to Scotland enjoying great success here.

“Given its location beside the Athletes’ Village and Celtic Park, the venue for the opening ceremony, I’m sure that the National Indoor Sports Arena and Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome will become of the one of the most recognisable and memorable images of the Games.”

The Athletes’ Village on the other side of Springfield Road from the twin sports venues is set to become rented housing after the Games. And, while the new venues and flats will not be enough to abolish all the social problems of the East End of Glasgow, Matheson is confident they will play their part in the regeneration of the district.

“Like all of the council’s sporting facilities, the arena and velodrome will be a fantastic asset for the community, inspiring greater sporting participation and improving heath and fitness,” he added. “While this venue was being built irrespective of the Games coming here, 2014 will leave us a fantastic sporting legacy in new and improved centres across Glasgow, including Tollcross International Swimming Centre, Glasgow Green Hockey Centre and the Scotstoun Sports Campus, among others.”

For Glasgow 2014 chief executive David Grevemberg, too, the progress of Nisa and the velodrome is a tangible sign that the Games are on track. “The ongoing hard work and good progress being made by Glasgow City Council across all the venues, as well as work in Edinburgh, is a clear sign that the Games are on target to be a huge success for Scotland as a whole,” he said.

“Since Glasgow was awarded the Commonwealth Games, there has been an enormous amount of planning, design, consultation and construction work. We are now seeing new venues such as Nisa and Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome taking shape, alongside existing facilities being upgraded and extended such as Edinburgh’s Royal Commonwealth Pool to meet the high standards expected of the Games.

“We are delighted that all these major projects are on schedule. The Games has been a springboard which has enabled the delivery of international-standard sporting venues with communal relevance, and this progress is a further demonstration of the valuable legacy these Games will leave.”