Australia’s athletes and their respective sports are set to receive a $6.5 million boost from Commonwealth Games Australia (CGA) through its Green2Gold2Great investment program.
An allocation of $4 million will support delivering the best possible result at Glasgow 2026, with the 10 program sports to share in a pool of funds that is geared toward achieving team success.
An additional $1.5 million will be provided directly to athletes on selection, with each to receive $5,000 to enhance their final preparation for the Games.
A further $1 million will also be allocated to sports who do not feature at the 2026 Commonwealth Games through a competitive application process.
This critical investment will assist in establishing emerging talent with the potential to contribute to team success at future iterations of the Commonwealth Games, where a revised sport program is likely.
CGA’s continued cooperation with non-program sports affirms its aspirations for an ongoing partnership with the broadest possible representation of the Commonwealth Sport Movement.
This announcement brings total investment into athletes and their respective sports to $11.6 million this quadrennium, and total investment since 1996 to more than $67 million.
It complements the landmark commitment to both performance and participation by the Minister for Sport, Anika Wells and the Australian Sports Commission last week.
CGA CEO Craig Phillips AM highlighted how vital the ongoing investments are for strengthening preparations for the 2026 Games and beyond.
“Our $6.5 million investment underscores our commitment to ensuring the Australian Team is equipped to perform at their best at Glasgow 2026,” Phillips said.
“We have clear aspirations for team success at the Commonwealth Games and this supplementary funding to much-appreciated allocations from the Federal Government supports making that a reality.”
Phillips also highlighted the importance of investing in emerging talent.
“Our additional commitment to sports not featured on the Glasgow 2026 sport program highlights our belief in the Commonwealth Sport Movement and the need to have as many sports as possible ready for the Games of 2030 and beyond,” Phillips said.
“To ensure that team success continues, we are investing in the pipeline of Australian talent by nurturing their ability to ready themselves for competition on the global stage.”
Green2Gold2Great supports CGA’s goal of making Australia the top nation at the Commonwealth Games in terms of gold and overall medals won, the number of medallists and the number of sports winning medals.
CGA membership expanded to include more sports
The membership of Commonwealth Games Australia (CGA) has been expanded at a General Meeting in Melbourne today, modernising the Constitution to reflect both the Games reset and the broadest possible representation of Australian sport.
The approved amendment will see Sport Members maintain their voting rights if they have participated in any of the last three Commonwealth Games (Birmingham 2022, Gold Coast 2018 and Glasgow 2014) or are on the program for Glasgow 2026.
The revision means that CGA membership remains both inclusive and representative, facilitating continued collaboration and partnership with a wide network of National Sporting Organisations.
CGA President Ben Houston noted that the change meets the evolving needs of the organisation as the Games chart a new direction to become more sustainable and cost-effective for generations to come.
“Glasgow 2026 will reset the Commonwealth Games and its delivery model, and CGA has responded by resetting its Constitution to reflect this new direction,” Houston said.
“As an inclusive and member-centric organisation, we remain committed to collaboration and partnership with the broadest possible representation of Australian sport and the decision taken today allows us to do this.
“A broad membership base allows us to support and advocate for more athletes, more coaches and more officials, all of whom contribute to Australia’s sporting success on the world stage.”
