FORMER Team Wales CEO Chris Jenkins has launched a bid to become the first ever Welsh head of the Commonwealth Games Federation.

The former City global investment manager moved into sports administration some 20 years ago after moving back to live near Crickhowell.

And having led Wales to four Commonwealth Games and been elected vice-president on the global CGF, he is hoping to win the role of president, with the national associations due to vote on November 15.

Jenkins first attended the Games as a member of the 1986 Wales Commonwealth Games rowing team in Edinburgh, where he coxed the men’s eight and four.

And with an experience of the global event now spanning 37 years, he is standing for the top job, with a vision of securing its future and expanding its reach.

“It’s come a long way since 1986,” says Chris. “It’s much more of an event, it’s moved away from just being a sports event, it’s become a movement. I think that’s what really excites me now, not just looking back over recent years, but also looking forward.

“You’ve got this fantastic cultural diversity... from some very small countries, just a few thousand, all the way up to the largest countries in the world, with India. A huge range of peoples, experiences, cultures, languages, all coming together, a family reunited.”

The event faces challenges in a fast-changing world, he admits, with work ongoing to find a host city for the 2026 Games.

“We need to change the model. So it’s not just about bringing down the cost or the scale of the Games and using existing facilities, it’s the other side of the equation... which is where the host, the host communities and the governments that support them get what they want, get their value,” Jenkins adds.

“I will make sure that we move to a sustainable model. From my business experience, I can tell you that we are far too reliant on just host city fees. We need to diversify our income streams, we need to bring in more partners.

“That would allow us to strengthen the programmes we do, but also continue to support CGAs, to help their development, because I know from talking to many small and mid-sized CGAs, they desperately need our help.”