BBC News - Games team picks new Scots anthem (original) (raw)

Scotland the Brave was played when Caitlin McClatchey won gold in 2006

Scottish athletes have voted overwhelmingly for Flower of Scotland to be the official national anthem at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

Scotland the Brave had been used as the anthem for Scottish competitors who won gold medals at previous games.

But the athletes voted by 211 to 15 in favour of Flower of Scotland to be adopted for this year's event.

A shortlist of four songs, which also included Loch Lomond and Highland Cathedral, had originally been chosen.

Athletes due to compete at the Delhi games were then asked to choose between Flower of Scotland and Scotland the Brave, which had been the two most popular tunes from the shortlist in a vote taken in November.

The competitors from 17 different teams made their decision after gathering for a camp at Stirling University.

Flower of Scotland has been used by the national football and rugby teams since the early 1990s, but the Commonwealth Games team had continued to use Scotland the Brave, which was first adopted as its anthem in 1958.

'Team spirit'

Before 1958, the Robert Burns-penned Scots Wha Hae had been used to mark Commonwealth Games success

Commonwealth Games Scotland had feared the lack of a recognised anthem created confusion amongst the athletes, team members, spectators and television viewers.

Michael Cavanagh, chairman of Commonwealth Games Scotland, said they were aiming to deliver the best prepared team possible to excel at the Games.

"The excellent team spirit in Melbourne was a major factor behind our success and today's camp provides an excellent opportunity for potential Delhi athletes to build a strong team unit right from the start, reinforcing the team's unique position of '17 Sports, One Team'," he said.

"Being held at the turn of the year, the camp marks an important milestone in the countdown to the games. With just 10 months to go it will focus the whole team on the exciting times ahead, and hopefully inspire our athletes to strive even harder to achieve the selection targets set for their sport and secure a seat on the plane to Delhi."

The Commonwealth Games is the only multi-sport event in which Scotland competes as a separate team.