The Commonwealth Games have been a hugely enjoyable event and will be set for a memorable climax this weekend.

One thing I love about the ‘Friendly Games’ is that they provide a platform for a lot of sports which otherwise get pretty much forgotten about, even though they feature people who dedicate their lives to competing in them and administering them.

These are people who are not among the elite athletes, people who are never going to get huge sponsorship or massive wages – or become world superstars.

They are in it because they love the sport, and that’s fantastic.

There are things like wrestling and shooting, weightlifting and the martial arts and even things like table tennis and gymnastics, which seem to get very little exposure outside the major championships.

Scotland deserves a massive pat on the back, too, for staging the Games so well and making it so enjoyable, not just for those taking part but for the spectators and TV audience as well.

It has provided a pleasant change from the big-money world of Premier League football – Everton spending £28m on Romelu Lukaku for instance – and it’s been refreshing to focus on sports and competitors who are just cracking on for the love of it and for the pride and joy of just being good at something which allows them to wear their country’s colours.

Yorkshire competitors have been doing really well, too, which is always nice to see and provides back-up for the county to what was achieved in the London 2012 Olympics.

After the success of the Tour de France Grand Depart and the cricket team in the County Championship, the White Rose really has been blooming.