Commonwealth Games could undergo 'dramatic change', says new chief executive
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What do the Commonwealth Games of the future look like?
The Commonwealth Games could undergo "dramatic change" by the middle of the next decade, according to its new chief executive Katie Sadleir.
Future hosts will be given greater flexibility on the sports they include, with only athletics and swimming compulsory under a new plan designed to attract bids.
Sadleir started the role in November.
The New Zealander told BBC Sport the event was in "a unique position to do something really innovative".
Sadleir, the first female chief executive of the Commonwealth Games Federation, said: "We have been thinking about the creative ways we could pivot the Games to make sure it still captures the hearts and minds of the future.
"It makes sense in terms of reducing costs for cities, but also thinking 'what do the Games of the future look like?' So it gives the chance for hosts to rethink the product.
"It's been around for 91 years and there's some great things about the Games from the past that definitely need to be built into the future. But any organisation that doesn't stop and think about innovative ways to mould going forward would do so at their peril."
E-sports in the Commonwealth Games?
Revealing that she was "open minded" about the inclusion of e-sports, Sadleir added: "We need to be leading in terms of uniqueness and that means moving with the times.
"We are meeting with the Global Esports Federation to talk about how we develop a Commonwealth strategy for e-sports."
With the Games approaching its centenary in 2030, an estimated 60% of the Commonwealth's total population of 2.5bn people is now aged under 30.
"There is an active engagement of that group in e-sports and we're open to have a look about how we can make this work," Sadleir added.
"We need to make sure the Games of the future is relevant to that market.
"It is time to rethink what does the Games of the future look like.
"The next two iterations of the Games, you might see some evolution rather than revolution.
"But if we're really true to having a world-class, unique, innovative Games, by the time you hit the one after that, you would think that you would see some quite dramatic change. But it depends how fast people want to go on the journey."
Who will host 2026?
No official bidders to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games have yet been confirmed, but Sadleir said the Federation was "negotiating with two or three countries" and she was "very confident" a host would be in place before the start of Birmingham 2022.
She said interest in staging the next two Games had come from a "mixture" of traditional, city-centred bids and wider regional bids, as permitted under the road map.
Asked if the Games in Birmingham next summer could be the last of its kind, Sadleir added: "This does give us an opportunity to do things differently, but it doesn't necessarily mean that things like this won't happen again."
After five years at World Rugby, Sadleir denied she had joined an organisation in decline, saying: "We have stopped, had a think and said 'OK, we need to do things differently', and there are some radical changes there from what we would traditionally have done.
"It's an organisation that knows it needs to reinvent itself rather than just repeat itself."
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