All the world's a stage as pipers flock to Glasgow

Organisers say that there are more countries represented than ever before in its 66-year history, with the internet being hailed as a key driver of interest.

Yesterday's preliminaries were streamed to nearly 150 countries including the Maldives, Angola and Ethiopia. Such is the global pull of the pipes, organisers say there is no guarantee that Glasgow will continue to host the championships - with Belfast having previously made strong representations to welcome the world's pipers.

The city is expected to try for the next three-year contract covering 2015-17, bringing Scots culture to the home of Ulster-Scots.

Glasgow has hosted The Worlds since 1983 with the exception of 1985 when it was staged in Hamilton.

As bands from Brazil, Norway and Mexico prepare to make their debuts alongside English, Scots and Northern Irish teams, one observer completed a 13-hour flight from Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia as part of preparations to become the first Sikh pipe band to enter the championships next year.

Harvinder Singh, the pipe major of the Malaysian Sikh Band, said he wanted to check out the world championships before entering. When his band makes its debut, it would also be the first Malaysian band to play at The Worlds.

The group, formed in 1988, gets piping tuition through Skype from an Australian-based piper.

"We want to make history," said Singh, a Malaysian of Indian descent. "We wanted to start a youth movement, to keep teenagers out of trouble and to keep them on a healthy path and give them leadership training. We thought one of the best ways to do it was by forming a pipe band. To start a brass band would have required a lot more investment. Being in a pipe band is inspirational; it somehow keeps people together. We practice every week for four hours and it has been going on for 25 years.

"It is only in the last four or five years, as the internet has become much more affordable, that we have been able to start having formal lessons from proper tutors."

George Ussher, the president of the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association, said he was not aware of any other traditional music that has the same world reach as piping has.

"Thanks to competitions like this being sent out live on the internet, the interest is getting greater and it also helps the spread of tourism.

"People see something like this in places such as Brazil and Mexico and suddenly they think that's something different to do and somewhere to go. The Scots, very much like the Irish, are a nation that has exported people all around the world, and you will always find that when these bands come from Mexico, or Saudi Arabia, or wherever they come from, there's a Scot somewhere kicking the thing forward and leading it."

Piping Live! - the series of events that includes The Worlds - is estimated to have contributed nearly £20 million to the economy over the past decade.

Roddy MacLeod, festival director of Piping Live! and principal of the National Piping Centre, said: "Piping is going through something of a boomtime right now and we are seeing more youngsters than ever coming to the piping centre for lessons. We are also giving more lessons to international students around the world through our e-learning programme and summer schools.

"Many countries have their very own piping discipline and we were delighted to welcome Mexico's first pipe band - St Patrick's Battalion Pipes & Drums - who are also planning to actually set up their own bagpipe festival in Mexico next year."

Today marks the climax of the world-famous competition, with Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band from Lisburn, Northern Ireland aiming to add a third consecutive Grade 1 world championship.