Scotland and Glasgow have been presented with a unique window of two of the world's greatest sports events just two years apart. It is the opportunity, not of one lifetime but of several.

The successful 2014 Commonwealth Games campaign by Glasgow means they will follow just two years after the London Olympics.

Never has there been a better chance to link sport, health, and education agendas. It is a way to address issues in obesity, such as diabetes and cardiac illness, drugs, smoking, lifestyle, healthy eating, the need for more physical education, and the chance to tackle social inclusion and vandalism.

We can save future generations of children who risk having their quality of life erased by policies driven solely by money and the lack of political will to make changes unless they bring short-term reward.

There is no one over-arching tool to achieve this, except sport. So we miss this opportunity at our peril, and any government so irresponsible as to fritter this away should not be in office.

So this is both a challenge and opportunity for the Scottish Government. That's the one that came to office by a single vote on a mandate to abolish sportscotland, and that's the quango with all the expertise needed to capitalise on this unrivalled era of sporting chance.

Before the ink was dry on the 2014 contract signed by his leader, Alex Salmond, Sports Minister Stewart Maxwell was discussing the party's manifesto pledge to abolish the quango.

He is well aware of the issues. "Like many people, I am partly relieved we've won, but mostly I am ecstatic about the fact that we've an opportunity over the next seven years to build a future in sport for kids in Scotland. It's just immense," he said. "We are going to seize this opportunity over the next seven years to make sure that we get the kind of benefits we need, not just for the Games, but beyond the Games and the future of Scotland."

So he will pronounce on sportscotland's future "in the next few weeks, before Christmas". I suggested that the last thing sport needs is to be run by civil service bureaucrats who know nothing of sport and care less.

"We will not throw out either the baby or the bathwater," he promised.

The chairwoman of sportscotland was unequivocal: "That was the result we really wanted," said former Olympic fencer Julia Bracewell. "It's up to us to take hold of that and give Scotland something really special. Without a doubt this should impact on the status of sportscotland.

"What we need now is a strong co-ordinating person within Scotland, a national agency that can make sure our athletes can perform, and coaches, officials and volunteers are all ready, so that we can make sure there's a legacy for the whole of sport - increased participation and better performances. You need something strong at the centre, driving that, and I think that's the role sportscotland should have. Hopefully we will survive. Fingers crossed."

The Glasgow event will carry the momentum forward after 2014. The Scottish Parliament must ensure that Scotland reaps all the UK Treasury benefits available to England when they staged the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester. There must be no pleading that coffers are empty after the Olympics.