David Leggat: Independent Scotland at Rio may be fanciful

Sir Craig Reedie (right). Photo / Getty Images

Scotland's future is about to be reshaped, perhaps forever, or perhaps not, depending on the outcome of a rather important referendum next week.

There are a pile of issues for Scots to wade through, far weightier than sport.

But consider this: If the vote is yes for independence, according to a senior International Olympic Committee member, Sir Craig Reedie, - who also happens to have been born under the Saltire - the prospects of independent Scotland marching out at the Rio Olympics opening ceremony in 2016 are slim.

It should be pointed out in this most political of hot potatoes, Reedie is a staunch opponent of independence. That said, he warned there would be "complete uncertainty" over whether Scotland could match the funding and support its athletes receive under the UK Sport programme.

Reedie, also the president of the World Anti-Doping Agency, reckoned there would be insufficient time between Scotland's target date for independence in March 2016 and the start of the Olympics to ratify a new national Olympic committee.

If next week's vote is yes to independence, athletes would have a choice of competing under a new flag, or sticking with the British team.

Last May, a working group on Scottish sport, set up by the Scottish Parliament, concluded having a Scotland team at the Rio Games was feasible. But feasible and absolutely damn certain are vastly different positions.

Scotland provides around 11 per cent of athletes to UK Sport, which distributes about 350 million ($700 million) of funding, Government and lottery, to sport every four years.

Scots won one in five of the 65 medals Team Great Britain won in London two years ago. It produces outstanding athletes. Think Chris Hoy and Andy Murray for a start.

By the end of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, there was a strong belief the Scots had done a quality job in terms of organising the event. There were frequent surges of pride at the performance of Scottish athletes. There was an argument that by extension, with the referendum coming up, Scotland had demonstrated its capability as a stand-alone nation.

For those committed to voting yes, the idea of their Scotland competing in Rio would be a source of immense satisfaction. Conversely, to take the biggest of steps, then be told, "tough, you can't be Scotland in Rio" because of sport/political hurdles, would leave a desperately bitter taste.