IT all seems like such a very long time ago in Sri Lanka that Glasgow was named the host city of the 20th Commonwealth Games.

Now with 50 days to go until the Opening Ceremony the biggest sporting event to hit Scotland is almost with us.

The work that has gone on in the years since to get the city ready to accommodate the athletes and visitors and create the facilities required to stage an international multi-sport event has been enormous.

The enthusiasm shown by people to get involved through volunteering has been staggering and the demand for tickets, while presenting a challenge for the organisers, has been phenomenal, which shows the goodwill and how much Glasgow wants the games to be a roaring success.

The focus just now must be on the final preparations to ensure the venues are ready, transport arrangements and management of the numbers of people not seen before in the city is in place.

All at the same time without losing sight of the fact that the whole point of bringing the Games to Glasgow in the first place was to create opportunities for the city and to leave a lasting legacy that can help build a healthier and more prosperous city with opportunities for more of its citizens.