Showing the way

Like synchronised swimming, rhythmic gymnastics strikes me as utterly daft but you have to recognise and admire the skill of the people doing it and the huge effort it must take to achieve proficiency.

The bits I saw of it in the wonderful SSE Hydro on the first day of the Commonwealth Games could be described as hell of a hard hula hooping and cleverly complicated keepie uppie.  Even at the height of the hula hoop craze of the 50s I couldn't manage more than a few simple rotations round my midriff so I did appreciate what these girls were doing (it's a girls only event) but I still think it's daft. 

Scottish number one in action

Glasgow was enjoying tropical weather that day and I lunched in the open air by the banks of the Clyde before heading for the squash at Scotstoun. This was terrific and caused me to regret that I ever stopped playing.  I suppose I wouldn't last five minutes if I started again but they say racketball is a game kinder to the more mature.  Looking at that video I'm not so sure.

Doubles in the glass

I've often wondered how on earth you could ever play doubles at squash and now I know.  The first rather obvious point is that you need a bigger court.  At Scotstoun three singles courts became two doubles courts by sliding the walls of the middle court towards one another and the glass box show court expanded sideways.  The players keep mostly to one side of the court and the game seems even faster and furiouser than singles.

When I played the scoring system used required a player to win serve before he could score a point but that is now an alternative to the standard system in which a point is scored on change of serve as well as during service.  That should reduce the length of matches and most of those I saw on my two visits took less than 30 minutes but one very exciting singles (won by Scotland) went on for an hour and a half.  That match plus a ladies doubles between Malaysia and New Zealand were more than enough value for the ticket money.

Scotland beating Malaysia

Another energetic racquets game that I used to enjoy playing is badminton.  The Commonwealth Games badminton is being played in the Emirates Arena, again a splendid venue.  It's just across the road from Celtic Park.

I was a bit disconcerted when I went in.  Four courts were simultaneously in action.  Four umpires were shouting out scores.  The public address was urging us to applaud teams as they left on completion of their matches and welcome new teams coming in.  The answer seemed to be to concentrate on one court and allow your attention to wander now and then.  Fortunately Scottish players were in action which gave me a focus and although they were outclassed in a couple of cases the mixed doubles match was a closely fought and exciting game in which we beat Malaysia.

Unbelievably he saved this

In addition to all of those I went to men's hockey and saw Australia drub Wales and India beat Scotland by a similar score although it was a much more closely contested game.

Guess the sport

The sport I originally set out to see was Artistic Gymnastics.  I only got a ticket in the second sale when unrequired reserved seats were released and although all the seats in the Hydro have a great view some are greater than others and for this event mine was one of those.

Just a blur

Up off the floor

Like the badminton an awful lot was going on at the same time.  Vaulting, parallel bars, high bar, beam and floor exercises. I used to be proud of my cartwheel and my handstand but how anyone can do a back somersault and land on a 4 inch wide beam defies explanation.  This was a great morning's entertainment for everyone except the poor English vaulter who despite all the soft landing mats did something nasty to himself and was carried out with his leg in a splint.

No doubt about which team this youngster is supporting