CGF President receives Damehood for services to sport in Scotland and the Commonwealth in 2019 New Year Honours List

The transformational power of Commonwealth sport and its recent positive impact at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on Australia’s Gold Coast – and the continued sporting benefits to Glasgow, Scotland since the 2014 Commonwealth Games – have been recognised today, as the Cabinet Office confirms that the Commonwealth Games Federation’s President, and former Chair of sportscotland, Louise Martin CBE, has been appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire by Her Majesty The Queen in the 2019 New Year Honours List. The honour is conferred in recognition of services to sport in Scotland and across the Commonwealth.

Louise Martin CBE said:

“Sport underpins the unique connections and friendships which bring together a third of the world’s population as citizens of the nations and territories of the Commonwealth. I am truly overwhelmed and humbled to be recognised in this way – and can’t imagine what my 16 year old self would have thought about this announcement when I first experienced the Commonwealth Games as a swimmer at the 1962 Games in Perth, Australia.

The successes and impacts of the Games are only made possible by the passion and commitment of our athletes, supporters, volunteers and host city partners. I would like to pay tribute to them – and in particular our partners and participants in Glasgow and Gold Coast – as I graciously thank Her Majesty for this honour”.

Commonwealth Games Federation Chief Executive, David Grevemberg CBE said:

“This very special honour is testimony to Louise’s leadership and the continued impact and legacy of the Commonwealth Sports Movement. We warmly congratulate Louise on this honour, as her many years of service to Commonwealth sport are recognised and as we reflect on many happy memories of Glasgow 2014 and Gold Coast 2018 and move forward with our ambitious plans to deliver Transformation 2022 with our members and stakeholders”.

Louise Martin is President of the Commonwealth Games Federation, elected at the General Assembly in Auckland, New Zealand in September 2015 and the first female to hold this office in the history of the Commonwealth Sports Movement. She has a long and distinguished association with the Games as an Athlete – swimming for Team Scotland at the Perth 1962 Commonwealth Games – and thereafter as Team Manager, Administrator and Honorary Secretary and was the first female elected to the CGF Executive Board.

Louise played a lead role in bringing the Commonwealth Games to Glasgow during the Bid, served as Vice Chair of the Glasgow 2014 Organising Committee, and was formerly chair of SportScotland from 2008 to 2015 and Commonwealth Games Scotland from 1999 until 2007. In 2008, she joined the Commonwealth Advisory Body on Sport, which she chaired from 2014-2018. In 2003 Louise was awarded the CBE in the New Year’s Honours List for services to the Commonwealth Games.

Story by The CGF