The seventh Commonwealth Youth Games was officially declared open at a colourful ceremony celebrating Trinidad & Tobagoan traditions and culture held in the Hasely Crawford Stadium and streamed live around the world.

In a Commonwealth Youth Games first Team Scotland was led out by two flagbearers, Niamh Trainer and Stefan Krawiec, to an enthusiastic welcome from the crowd and saltires waved by the travelling Scottish support.

The parade of nations concluded with Games hosts Trinidad & Tobago having the honour of being the last team to enter the stadium, to a standing ovation. A spectacular programme of fireworks, carnival style costumes and stilt walkers representing the seven sports on the Trinbago 2023 programme followed.

The Trinbago mascot, Cocoyea the leatherback turtle, made an entrance before representatives of the athletes and officials took oaths on behalf of their peers. Dame Louise Martin CBE and President of Trinidad and Tobago, Christine Kangaloo then declared the 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games open.

The athletes competing on Tobago were treated with a delightful opening event at the Shaw Park Sports Complex, with local steel drum bands, carnival dancers and spoken word artists. Ahead of the official live stream of the Opening Ceremony on Trinidad, the official mascot of the games, Cocoyea, brought all of the athletes from each of the countries onto the stage to dance and get into the spirit of the Games. 

The sporting action gets underway tomorrow with Scotland’s road cyclists and beach volleyball players first in action. On Trinidad, the Women’s Cycling Time Trial starts at 9am (2pm UK time) where Millie Thomason and Evie White get the Games underway for Team Scotland. They are followed by Joe Cosgrove and Elliot Rowe in the men’s event starting at 11am (4pm UK time).

On Tobago Scotland’s beach volleyball pair Iona Bell and Sasha Clegg-Mckeown start their campaign against Canada at 10.50am (3.50pm UK time) before taking on New Zealand in their second pool game at 3.20pm (8.20pm UK time).