Whenever the topic of the Olympic Games is brought up in conversation among politicians and administrators here, the response is seemingly always an emphatic: "Turkey is ready."

It was almost as if the last two years never happened. Crowded trains packed with excitable event goers, children wrapped in flags, shared human experiences full of heartbreak and elation, and lasting memories to be re-told for years to come.

This week’s announcement that Australian cricket captain Meg Lanning is to take an indefinite break from cricket for personal reasons will have brought knowing glances from all those who attended the inaugural T20 tournament at the Commonwealth Games.

Congratulations Birmingham. Well done the Commonwealth Games Federation and Team England. And most of all thank you to the wonderful athletes from across the globe who have for the past twelve days contributed most to the success of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

With Britain on the brink of ushering a third female Prime Minister into No 10 Downing Street, the indication is that we are now living very much in a woman’s world politically. The same goes for sport.

Twenty years ago, pretty much to the day, I embarked on a pre-season fact-finding mission to the Premier League’s two Merseyside clubs, Liverpool and Everton.

Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) vice-patron Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex closed Birmingham 2022 after a Ceremony without ceremony at the Alexander Stadium.

It has been sensibly pointed out that there are - issues - involved in describing what began as the British Empire Games and evolved into the Commonwealth Games as "The Friendly Games."

When Myles Hesson sank the overtime buzzer-beater to capture men’s 3x3 basketball gold for England the crowd erupted in such a way that probably sent shockwaves through central Birmingham.

Responsibility can be challenging. Just one year ago, I was heading the Independent Expert Panel of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to work alongside the Japanese authorities and design together the COVID-19 countermeasures for the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics. We were in the middle of the pandemic, vaccination was not yet available across the globe, and we expected 11,300 athletes and tens of thousands of participants to come to Japan.

Before each competition begins, the big screens at the arenas here in Birmingham display a video montage of some of the greatest moments from previous Commonwealth Games.

It was the hug with her mother Liz that will probably become the enduring image of Eilish McColgan’s stunning 10,000 metres Commonwealth Games victory in Birmingham. 

Igniting the Games, the evolution of the Olympics and Thomas Bach's legacy, is the first overall assessment of the Olympic Movement under the leadership of its ninth President.

Old codger I may be, but I have always tried to avoid boring the pants off of the younger generation with rheumy-eyed reminisces of how things, and sport in particular, were better in the "good old days" of yesteryear.