For Glasgow's Commonwealth Games 2014 bid team, the road to the finishing line has shuttled across 67 countries, in a marathon year of diplomacy.

But today, the city's chances will come down to a 30-minute presentation, 5600 miles from Scotland in a hotel room in Sri Lanka. All observers agree that the final pitch will be crucial to secure a majority of votes from 71 delegates.

In this battle, it is heart against head. The sentimental vote might be for an African games, and the rival bid from Abuja in Nigeria. Glasgow's team must rely on the knowledge that its submission boasts unmatched sporting facilities, with 70% of facilities already completed.

For Jamie Quarry, it will be the speech of his life. The 34-year-old former Scottish champion decathlete was himself a Commonwealth medallist, and his wider family knows about winning: his father's cousin is Don Quarrie, who won Commonwealth sprint gold for Jamaica in Edinburgh at the 1970 Games.

Now Jamie has been charged with leading Glasgow's bid down the home straight. "This is it. This is what it has come down to - all the years of planning and preparation. So it is a big responsibility, " Quarry told The Herald yesterday.

"We've said all along that this is an athlete-focused, athlete-centred games that Glasgow are looking to put on. We've taken the experiences of all the games we've been to, all the problems we've encountered, all the things that have worked well, and put that all into one bag."

Quarry was offered the opportunity to compete for England as a junior, but his mother was born in Stirling, so he opted for the dark blue and competed in three Commonwealth Games. His father's side of the family is Jamaican. The difference in spelling from Quarrie came from a passport change when his father travelled to the UK.

Quarry's speech will come between addresses from Glasgow City Council leader Steven Purcell and Alex Salmond. The First Minister said yesterday: "Obviously, the competition is intense, but it is a friendly competition. We have got great respect for our rival bid, but we are very confident about Glasgow and Scotland's prospects."

Meanwhile, a Nigerian statesman laid out Abuja's "sentimental" bid. Olusegun Awolowo, a member of the Abuja bid team, said: "We are getting it, there is no doubt about it. It is Africa's time."

Back home, there was a rare political truce at Holyrood yesterday as all sides backed Glasgow's bid.

Nicola Sturgeon, Deputy First Minister standing in for Mr Salmond while he was in Sri Lanka, paid a fulsome tribute to Jack McConnell for starting the process of bidding for 2014.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown also sent his best wishes to the Glasgow bid team.

All day yesterday, Glasgow's bid team worked to garner the 36 votes needed to claim the prize.

They will know their fate around 12.30pm today after a secret ballot.