Glasgow's Quiet Countdown: From Rescue Mission To Scaled-Back Games

The first signs of the Commonwealth Games appear almost as soon as one steps off the plane.

Inside the Glasgow International Airport, athletes in national team tracksuits wait at the conveyer belts for their luggage even as volunteers in the Games' trademark purple uniforms welcome delegations arriving from across the Commonwealth.

Every few minutes, a team emerges through the arrival gates, adding to the steady stream that will soon swell to nearly 3,000 athletes.

Beyond the airport, however, the atmosphere is subdued.

The city centre carries reminders that Glasgow is about to host one of the world's biggest multi-sport events in just about two days' time.

Posters featuring the official mascot, Finnie the Unicorn complete with its distinctive traffic-cone horn stand alongside images of Scotland's leading athletes.

A countdown clock greets commuters at Central Station at Queen Street Station while ticket barriers have been wrapped in Games branding.

However, beyond these pockets, Glasgow continues at its familiar pace.

For now, there is little to suggest that an international sporting event is around the corner.

Glasgow stepped in only after Australia's Victoria state withdrew from hosting because of spiralling costs, forcing organisers to rethink the event.

The result is a significantly scaled-back Games featuring just 10 sports -- the fewest since the 1994 edition, spread across four venues: the Scottish Event Campus, Glasgow Arena, Scotstoun Stadium and Tollcross International Swimming Centre.

"I knew the Commonwealth Games were happening because they came to my university looking for volunteers," University of Glasgow student Nathan MacKenzie told PTI.

"But after that I haven't really followed it. It's only now that the posters have started appearing in the city centre," he added.

Along the River Clyde, which is the heart of Glasgow's entertainment district, preparations continue around the SEC, the busiest venue during the Games.

Security personnel patrol the area, barriers are in place and workers are putting the finishing touches to the precinct.

Organisers will hope the tranquillity of the Clyde is replaced by the noise of packed stands once competition begins later this week.

"There hasn't been much buzz until now," taxi driver Vincent Dobbins said.

"But it will start as the athletes trickle in."

For Dobbins, the Games are not just a opportunity for increased business. Something deeply personal is at stake.

His son, Matti Dobbins, a former Scottish road race champion who now represents Ireland through his father's heritage, is preparing for his Commonwealth Games debut.

"You should write and let everyone know how amazing he is," the proud father said.

Sri Lanka banks on Tharanga for golden throw

Not every star has reached Glasgow yet.

Among those still to arrive is Sri Lankan javelin thrower Rumesh Tharanga, whose remarkable rise over the past month has made him the favourite to win gold.

The 23-year-old stunned the athletics world by winning the Rome Diamond League last month with a monstrous throw of 92.62 metres, making him a favourite ahead of India's two-time Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra and Pakistan's reigning Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem.

Sri Lanka won four medals, including one silver and three bronze, at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022. The island nation's team officials are hopeful that Tharanga will deliver the country's first athletics gold since Deshamanya Duncan M. White's top finish in the men's 400 yard hurdles in 1950.

"He has been doing well. Hopefully he can keep his form, perform well and get the gold," Sri Lanka team manager Mohamed Rifath said.