Glasgow named among best sports host cities in world

The city beats off competition from Los Angeles, Tokyo and Sydney for the ranking

Published 20th Apr 2016

Glasgow has made it into fifth place in a list of the world's top sports host cities.

It finished ahead of Los Angeles, Tokyo, Sydney and Paris after climbing three places in the ranking by the SportBusiness Ultimate Sports Cities Awards, which are held every two years.

Glasgow, which hosted the 2014 Commonwealth Games, was also named the number one city in the world in the legacy category.

A further award saw it named best small city by population band, beating Amsterdam, Calgary, Doha and Vancouver in the process.

The news, announced at the SportAccord Convention in Lausanne, Switzerland, comes on the back of Glasgow also recently hosting the FIG World Gymnastics Championships, IPC Swimming World Championships and two Davis Cup ties.

Council Leader, Councillor Frank McAveety says, "This is top news for Glasgow. We are probably the 500th biggest city in the world but now ranked number 5 in sport.

"What an achievement. But let me tell you it is one built on relentless investment in sport made by the City Council.

"In the last 10 years we’ve spent hundreds of millions on sporting facilities for the people of the City and it has paid off. Big Style.”

Annemarie O'Donnell, chief executive of the city council, said: "Glasgow's sporting reputation has never been higher.

"Our rise as one of the world's top sporting cities has been secured thanks to our investment in world-class facilities, our international events programme and our commitment to increasing participation and leaving a lasting legacy for future generations.''

Rachael Church, head judge and founder of Ultimate Sports Cities, said: "Glasgow is an all-rounder when it comes to hosting major sports events, choosing ones that fit carefully devised objectives while at the same time showcasing a vibrant sports-mad city.

"The legacy benefits of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games will continue for generations to come and are to be applauded and admired.''

New York was named as the top city, followed by London, Melbourne and Auckland.