TEAM Scotland kicked off their Commonwealth Games 2022 experience with tartan uniforms and Saltires at the opening ceremony in Birmingham.
The 260 sports stars representing the country at the Games sported blue and purple tartan outfits designed by Siobhan Mackenzie and woven at the Lochcarron Mill in Selkirk.
The team were all smiles as they entered Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium, waving to the spectators.
Glasgow 2014 and Gold Coast 2018 medallist Kirsty Gilmour, and Paralympic bronze medallist Micky Yule, were chosen by the group to fly the flag and lead the team into the arena.
Team Scotland will be competing in 18 sports, including seven para sports.
At the last Commonwealth Games, Scotland brought home 40 medals. Their top medal haul was at Glasgow 2014, however, where they secured a whopping 53.
Birmingham’s Commonwealth Games kicked off in a carnival of colour as local musical heroes Duran Duran and Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi guest-starred in a celebration of the city’s industrial heritage.
Competitors from the Commonwealth’s 72 nations and territories were cheered into the arena by a 30,000 crowd.
Event organisers want this to be an inclusive Games, but Olympic diving champion Tom Daley’s presence as a baton-bearer highlighted the continued challenges facing members of the LGBT+ community across the Commonwealth.
Thirty-five Commonwealth countries criminalise same-sex relationships, according to the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA), and Daley’s determination to take a stand is especially pertinent in a year when football’s World Cup will be played in Qatar, where homosexuality is prohibited by law.
Daley’s fellow baton-bearers included Olympic gold medal-winning gymnast Max Whitlock – who is not competing at these Games – boxer Galal Yafai, British Paralympian and junior doctor Kim Daybell and retired hockey player Alex Danson-Bennett.
The ceremony also featured an appearance from activist Malala Yousafzai. The 25-year-old, who now lives in Birmingham, campaigns and raises funds for girls’ education programmes in her native Pakistan.
Her determination to stand up for her beliefs almost cost her life, when she was shot in the head in an assassination attempt in 2012.
“Tonight teams from 72 countries and territories join the people of Birmingham to celebrate friendship across borders,” Yousafzai said.
“They represent millions of girls and boys and our shared goal, where every child can go to school, where women can fully participate in society and where families can live in peace and dignity.
“Remember, every child deserves her chance to fulfil her potential and pursue her wildest dreams.”
All around the city is the slogan “Sport is Just the Beginning”.
