I believe it
is impossible to separate sport and politics. The Commonwealth games were
initially called The British Empire Games.Even the flag waving is political.
At the
Opening Ceremony for Glasgow 2014 there was controversy over the Red Arrows flying
the red, white and blue colours of the Union jack amid the debate over the
Scottish Referendum due in 2 months time in September. The organisers believed
they would fly the Scottish flag of blue and white but in a last minute change
the Red Arrows team were told no. It would have been a more generous gesture to
allow the blue and white colours – after all the Red Arrows have flown the
colours of many other flags.
The Queen
attended the opening ceremony and we sang God Save the Queen at Celtic Park
– quite a strange thing in itself.
Of course
the Games are political.
With the
Referendum hanging over the proceedings the crowd cheered the English athlete,
perhaps surprising the international audience.
Scotland's imperial past is evident in the
names of some of the Jamaican athletes - and with Jennifer Stirling who carried
in the baton to the Opening ceremony.
The song Freedom Come All Ye by Hamish Henderson, which was sung at the Opening ceremony, was
a fitting choice as the song speaks of winds of change and sweeping away
exploitation and imperialism - and looks to an inclusive and co-operative
future. The song is a product of the 60s Scottish folk revival.
