Glasgow's Nigerian rivals, Abuja, trumped the Scottish bid for the 2014 Commonwealth Games when the candidature files were presented yesterday in London.
The Scottish bid offers a package of training and sports development grants worth around £50,000 ($100,000) to each of the 70 other countries who will vote on November 9 but Abuja has offered £62,500 ($125,000) each. Unlike the Scots whose support will be offered in a variety of ways - coaching and other assistance if Glasgow wins - Abuja will pay the whole sum in cash to every every Commonwealth Games Association, its bid committee president, Habu Gumel, confirmed.
Glasgow's £50,000 is "on the basis of need and not necessarily cash," said bid director Derek Casey. "A targeted sport development fund - some countries don't need cash but they do need help, like access to training in Scotland."
Oil-rich Nigeria will also provide free flights to the country for every athlete, plus three business-class return trips for the two senior officials from all 70 visiting countries. "That's based on the average size of each team at the last two Commonwealth Games," said Mr Gumel. "We don't know exactly how much it will cost."
He added overall costs of the Games were irrelevant because "when we win," the government will underwrite whatever it takes to make the Games successful. Glasgow's total budget is £344m, with the travel package costed at £4.29m. Abuja's flights will be from country of origin, and will cost more, but Glasgow's offer of free travel for all athletes is more flexible. "Athletes often train away from home, so we are prepared to fly them from where they are training," said Casey.
Glasgow won the presentation battle with a theatrical and emotional display using the regimental band of the Scots Guards, pipers, and Highland dancers, upstaging Abuja. But reality struck when the scale of the Nigerian inducements emerged.
However, Louise Martin, secretary of the Commonwealth Games Council for Scotland, who presented Glasgow's bid, was "surprised Abuja had not offered more".
Mr Casey considered the difference insignificant. "The margin between us is so little that voters will judge on what is best for the athletes, and not what is best for their bank accounts."
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