Chris Jenkins steps down from Commonwealth Sport presidency

Commonwealth Sport today announced the resignation of President Chris Jenkins, who it says will be remembered for his longstanding service and contribution to the Commonwealth Sport movement.

“I am particularly proud of the opportunities I have been given to advance Sport for Development, and especially Para inclusion through our GAPS programme, and want to thank all my Commonwealth Games Association colleagues and friends for their support,” said Jenkins.

Jenkins’ journey started representing Wales as a rower at the 1986 Commonwealth Games, then serving as the CEO of Commonwealth Games Wales for 16 years before being elected to the Commonwealth Sport presidency in 2023. In his initial campaign he pledged to transform the Games by ensuring a shift to a truly sustainable model.

Momentum

Commonwealth Sport CEO Katie Sadleir explained that with a mid-term resignation the Constitution allows for an Interim President to be appointed by the Executive Board, and a new President will be elected by the membership at the next General Assembly in November 2025.

Sadleir stated: “The Board appointed Dr. Donald Rukare as Interim President until the General Assembly. We look forward to working with Donald in this role as we continue driving the organisation’s event operations and wider movement forward.”

Upon his appointment, Dr. Rukare said, “I am ready to step into this role and thank the Board for their confidence in me. We have come through a particularly challenging period in our Games history, and we are now building momentum towards an outstanding Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2026.”

Sadleir added: “We look forward to welcoming a new President in November to lead us through our upcoming period of growth and continued transformation.”