Chief Executive appointed to drive new professional approach for Scottish Commonwealth Games

Friday 4 May 2001

The Commonwealth Games Council for Scotland (CGCS) today announced that Jon Doig is to become the Council’s first full-time Chief Executive, with the remit of bringing a new professional approach to the way the Council operates and prepares Scottish teams for Commonwealth competition.

"The next year is an exciting time for Scottish sport..."

36 year old Doig will take up the new challenge on 1 June this year, bringing a wealth of international experience in sports management to the role, most recently as Senior Development Officer with sportscotland's High Performance Team.

Jon is no stranger to the Scottish Commonwealth Games scene, having provided technical support prior to the 1998 Games in Kuala Lumpur in the areas of team management training, athlete support, selection policies and procedures. He also attended the Games as an Assistant Team Manager.

Commenting on his new role, Jon said: "The next year is an exciting time for Scottish sport with the Games being held so close by in Manchester. A great team is being assembled with the support of our main sponsor Bank of Scotland and I look forward to working with all our partners.

"I know how much success at the Games means to Scotland and our athletes and I will be working hard to help them reap the benefits of their investment and hard work."

Jon's new appointment coincides with the relocation of the CGCS offices to Stirling University, which is quickly becoming the hub of Scottish sport, with the Scottish Institute of Sport and Scottish Swimming also moving in towards the end of the year.

Louise Martin, Chairman of CGCS, said: "Things are really moving apace for the Games Council. Jon's appointment is a huge step forwards and I am sure he will help us develop the professional infrastructure we have required for so long. Together with our move to Stirling I feel this gives us a strong start to our 2002 Commonwealth Games campaign."

The investment in the Games Council's infrastructure and team preparations for 2002 has been made possible thanks to funding from the Comprehensive Spending Review administered through sportscotland. This support will assist the Games Council towards achieving the aim set for Scottish sport in Sport 21 of the 2002 team being the most successful team ever.

• The Commonwealth Games Council for Scotland (CGCS) is responsible for selecting and preparing the team representing Scotland at the Games and is financed through sponsorship and fundraising activities, and grant support from sportscotland.
• The total cost of preparing and taking a team to represent Scotland at the Commonwealth Games in 2002 is around £450,000.
• The Scottish Team won 3 gold, 2 silver and 7 bronze medals at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  Scotland's judo players picked up one gold, three silver and four bronze at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland: the only time the sport has been included in the Games and which will make a return in Manchester.
• Scotland has competed in every Games since the first British Empire Games in 1930 winning a total of 270 medals (65 gold, 79 silver, 126 bronze).
• 16 sports are taking part in Manchester: aquatics, athletics; badminton; bowls; boxing; cycling; gymnastics; hockey; judo; rugby 7s; shooting; squash; table tennis; triathlon; weightlifting; and wrestling. Scotland's participation in a number of team sports is subject to qualification.
• In a System 3 survey conducted in January 1999, the Commonwealth Games ranked top alongside the Olympics as the international event in which the Scottish public saw international success as important (83% saw it as being important as opposed to 77% for the Football World Cup of European Championships).
• Bank of Scotland has come on board as the Team's major sponsor for the second successive time.
• Bank of Scotland is the largest commercial sponsor of youth sport in Scotland and sponsors youth projects in athletics, badminton, curling, football, hockey and swimming all of which are core sports in the Scottish Institute of Sport.
• Media interested in applying for accreditation to attend the 2002 Commonwealth Games should contact the CGCS press officer to complete a preliminary enquiry form issued by Manchester and to go on a priority mailing list. Full accreditation application forms will be issued in November 2001.
• Sport 21: Nothing Left to Chance is sportscotland's strategy for Scottish sport.