Commonwealth Games

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Commonwealth Games

Commonwealth Games Federation seal, adopted in 2001

Motto HUMANITY – EQUALITY – DESTINY

Headquarters London, United Kingdom

Commonwealth Secretariat Hon. Michael Fennell OJ, CD

Website Commonwealth Games Federation

The Commonwealth Games is a multinational, multi-sport event which features competitions involving
thousands of elite athletes from members of the Commonwealth of Nations. Organised every four years, they
are the third-largest multi-sport event in the world, after theSummer Olympic Games and the Asian Games[citation
.
needed]

As well as many Olympic sports, the Games also include some sports that are played mainly in Commonwealth
countries, such as lawn bowls, rugby sevens and netball.[1] The Games are overseen by the Commonwealth
Games Federation (CGF), which also controls the sporting programme and selects the host cities. The host city
is selected from across the Commonwealth, with eighteen cities in seven countries having hosted it.

The event was first held in 1930 under the title of the British Empire Games in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
The event was renamed as theBritish Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1954, the British
Commonwealth Games in 1970, and gained its current title in 1978. Only six teams have attended every
Commonwealth Games: Australia, Canada, England, New Zealand, Scotland and Wales. Australia has been
the highest achieving team for ten games, England for seven and Canada for one.
There are currently 54 members of the Commonwealth of Nations, and 71 teams participate in the Games. The
four Home Nations of theUnited Kingdom – England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – send separate
teams to the Commonwealth Games, and individual teams are also sent from the British Crown
dependencies of Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man (unlike at the Olympic Games, where the combined
"Great Britain" team represents all four home nations and the Crown dependencies). Many of the British
overseas territories also send their own teams. The Australian external territory of Norfolk Island also sends its
own team, as do the Cook Islands and Niue, two states in free association with New Zealand. It has been
reported that Tokelau, another dependency of New Zealand will be sending a team to the 2010 Games
in Delhi, India.

The most recent games were in 2006 in Melbourne, Australia. The next edition will be held in 2010 in Delhi,
India.

Contents
[hide]

• 1 History

• 2 Traditions

○ 2.1 Queen's Baton Relay

○ 2.2 Opening and closing ceremonies

• 3 Editions

• 4 Approved sports

• 5 Participation

○ 5.1 Nations/dependencies that have competed

○ 5.2 Commonwealth nations/dependencies/disputed territories yet to

send teams

○ 5.3 Boycotts

• 6 Notable competitors

• 7 See also

• 8 References

• 9 External links

○ 9.1 Games sites

○ 9.2 Associations
[edit]History

Flag of the
British Commonwealth Games

A sporting competition bringing together the members of the British Empire was first proposed by the Reverend
Astley Cooper in 1891 when he wrote an article in The Times suggesting a "Pan-Britannic-Pan-Anglican
Contest and Festival every four years as a means of increasing the goodwill and good understanding of the
British Empire".

In 1911, the Festival of the Empire was held in come London to celebrate the coronation of King George V. As
part of the festival an Inter-Empire Championships was held in which teams from Australia, Canada, South
Africa and the United Kingdom competed in events such as boxing, wrestling, swimming and athletics.

In 1928, Melville Marks Robinson of Canada was asked to organise the first ever British Empire Games. These
were held in Hamilton, Canadatwo years later.

The first Games were held in 1930 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The name changed to British Empire and
Commonwealth Games in 1954, to British Commonwealth Games in 1970 and assumed the current name
of the Commonwealth Games in 1978.[2]

At the 1930 games, women competed in the swimming events only.[3] From 1934, women also competed in
some athletics events[citation needed].

The Empire Games flag was donated in 1931 by the British Empire Games Association of Canada. The year
and location of subsequent games were added until the 1950 games. The name of the event was changed to
the British Empire and Commonwealth Games and the flag was retired as a result.

 Commonwealth Winter Games

 Commonwealth Youth Games

[edit]Traditions
[edit]Queen's Baton Relay

The 2006 relay passing through Wagga Wagga, Australia

Main article: Queen's Baton Relay

[edit]Opening and closing ceremonies

 From 1930 until 1950, the parade of nations was led by a single flagbearer
carrying the Union Flag.

 Since 1958, there has been a relay of athletes carrying a baton

from Buckingham Palace to the Opening Ceremony. This baton has within it
the Queen's message of greeting to the athletes. The baton's final bearer is
usually a famous sporting personage of the host nation.

 All other nations march in English alphabetical order, except that the first
nation marching in the Parade of Athletes is the host nation of the previous
games, and the host nation of the current games marches last. In 2006
countries marched in alphabetical order in geographical regions.

 Three national flags fly from the stadium on the poles that are used for medal
ceremonies: Previous host nation, Current host nation, Next host nation.

 The military is more active in the Opening Ceremony than in the Olympic
Games. This is to honour the British Military traditions of the Old Empire
[edit]Editions
 Countries which have hosted, or plan to host, the event

Other countries which enter the games

Countries which have entered the games but no longer do so

• Host cities and year of games

The first edition of the event was the 1930 British Empire Games and eleven nations took part. The quadrennial
schedule of the games was interrupted byWorld War II and the 1942 Games (set to be held
in Montreal, Canada) were abandoned.[4] The games were continued in 1950 and underwent a name change
four years later with the first British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1954.[2] Over 1000 athletes
participated in the 1958 Games as over thirty teams took part for the first time.[5]

The event was briefly known as the British Commonwealth Games for the 1970 and 1974 editions and the
1978 Games, held in Edmonton, Canada, were the first to be held under the title of the "Commonwealth
Games".[2] The Edmonton event marked a new high as almost 1500 athletes from 46 countries took part.[5]

Participation at the 1986 Games was affected by a boycott by some African and Caribbean nations in protest to
the participation of New Zealand, following the All Blacks Rugby tour of Apartheid era South Africa in 1985, but
the Games rebounded and continued to grow thereafter. The 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia saw the sporting programme grow from 10 to 15 sports as team sports were allowed for the
first time.[2] Participation also reached new levels as over 3500 athletes represented 70 teams at the event. At
the most recent Games (in Melbourne, Australia in 2006), over 4000 athletes took part in sporting competitions.
[5]
The three nations to have hosted the games the most number of times are Australia (4), Canada (4), and New
Zealand (3). Furthermore, five editions have taken place in the countries within the United Kingdom. Two cities
have held the games on multiple occasions: Auckland (1950 and 1990), and Edinburgh (1970 and 1986).

Competitors

Games Year Host Dates Sports Events Nations Officials Ref

Total Men Women

British Empire Games

I 1930 16 – 23 August 6 59 11 400 ? ? ?

Hamilton, Canada

II 1934 4 – 11 August 6 68 16 500 ? ? ?

London, England,

III 1938 5 – 12 February 7 71 15 464

Sydney, Australia

IV 1950 4 – 11 February 9 88 12 590 495 95

Auckland, New Zealand

British Empire and Commonwealth Games

30 July – 7
V 1954 9 91 24 662 127
Vancouver, Canada August

VI 1958 18 – 26 July 9 94 36 1122 228

Cardiff, Wales,

22 November – 1
VII 1962 9 104 35 863 178
Perth, Australia December

VIII 1966 4 – 13 August 9 110 34 1050 266

Kingston, Jamaica

British Commonwealth Games

 IX 1970 16 – 25 July 9 121 42 1383 361
Edinburgh, Scotland

24 January – 2
X 1974 Christchurch, New 9 121 38 1276 977 299 372
February
Zealand

Commonwealth Games

XI 1978 3 – 12 August 10 128 46 1474

Edmonton, Canada

30 September —
XII 1982 10 142 46 1583
Brisbane, Australia 9 October

24 July – 2
XIII 1986 10 163 26 1662
Edinburgh, Scotland August

24 January – 3
XIV 1990 10 204 55 2073
Auckland, New Zealand February

XV 1994 18 – 28 August 10 217 63 2557

Victoria, Canada

11 – 21
XVI 1998 15 213 70 3633
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia September

25 July – 4
XVII 2002 171 281 72 3679
Manchester, England August

XVIII 2006 15 – 26 March 162 245 71 4049

Melbourne, Australia

XIX 2010 3 – 14 October 17 285 73

Delhi, India
 23 July – 3
XX 2014
Glasgow, Scotland August

Gold Coast, Australia

XXI 2018 To be decided
or Hambantota, Sri Lanka

Notes

1
Includes 3 team sports. 2Includes 4 team sports

[edit]Approved sports

Further information: Commonwealth Games sports and Commonwealth Games records

There are a total of 31 sports (with two multi-disciplinary sports) and a further 7 para-sports which are approved
by the Commonwealth Games Federation. They are categorised into three types. Core sports must be included
on each programme. A number of optional sports may be picked by the host nation, which may include some
team sports such as basketball. Recognised sports are sports which have been approved by the CGF but
which are deemed to need expansion; host nations may not pick these sports for their programme until the
CGF's requirements are fulfilled.[6]

Sport Type Years Sport Type Years

Archery Optional 1982, 2010 Netball Core 1998–present
Athletics Core 1930–present Rowing Recognised 1930, 1938–62, 1986
Badminton Core 1966–present Rugby sevens Core 1998–present
Basketball Optional 2006 Sailing Recognised Never
Billiards Recognised Never Shooting Optional 1966, 1974–present
Boxing Core 1930–present Softball Recognised Never
Canoeing Recognised Never Squash Core 1998–present
Cycling Optional 1934–present Swimming Core 1930–present
Diving Optional 1930–present Synchronized
Optional 1986, 2006
swimming
Fencing Recognised 1950–1970
Table tennis Optional 2002–present
Golf Recognised Never
Tennis Optional 2010
Gymnastics
(Artistic and Optional 1978, 1990–present Tenpin bowling Recognised 1998
Rhythmic)
Triathlon Optional 2002, 2006, 2014
Handball Recognised Never
Volleyball Recognised Never
Field Hockey Core 1998–present
Water polo Recognised 1950
Judo Optional 1990, 2002, 2014
Weightlifting Core 1950–present
1930–present
Lawn bowls Core 1930–present (except
(except 1966) Wrestling Optional
1990,1998 and 2006)
Life saving Recognised Never

[edit]Participation

[edit]Nations/dependencies that have competed

Only six teams have attended every Commonwealth Games: Australia, Canada, England, New Zealand,
Scotland and Wales. Australia has been the highest scoring team for ten games, England for seven and
Canada for one.

 Aden1 1962  Malta 1958–1962, 1970, 1982–

 Anguilla 1982, 1998–

 Mauritius 1958, 1966–1982, 1990–

 Antigua and Barbuda 1966–1970,  Montserrat 1994–

1978, 1994–
 Mozambique 1998–
 Australia 1930–
 Namibia 1994–
 Bahamas 1954–1970, 1978–1982,
1990–  Nauru 1990–

 Bangladesh 1978, 1990–  Newfoundland9 1930–1934

 New Zealand 1930–

 Barbados 1954–1966, 1970–1982,
1990–  Nigeria 1950–1958, 1966–1974, 1982, 1990–1994,
2002–
 Belize 1978, 1994–
 Niue 2002–
 Bermuda 1930–1938, 1954–1982,
1990–  Norfolk Island 1986–

 Botswana 1974, 1982–  North Borneo8 1958–1962

 British Guiana² 1930–1938, 1954–  Northern Ireland7 1934–1938, 1954–

1962  Northern Rhodesia10 1954

 British Honduras³ 1962–1966

 Pakistan 1954–1970, 1990–
 British Virgin Islands 1990–
 Papua New Guinea 1962–1982, 1990–
 Brunei Darussalam 1958, 1990–
 Rhodesia11 1934–1950
 Cameroon 1998–
 Rhodesia and Nyasaland10 1958–1962
 Canada 1930–
 Cayman Islands 1978–  Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha 1982,
1998–
 Ceylon4 1938–1950, 1958–1970

 Saint Kitts and Nevis (Saint Christopher-Nevis-

 Cook Islands 1974–1978, 1986–
Anguilla 1978), 1990–
 Cyprus 1978–1982, 1990–
 Saint Lucia 1962, 1970, 1978, 1994–
 Dominica 1958–1962, 1970, 1994–
 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1958, 1966–1978,
 England 1930–
1994–

 Falkland Islands 1982–

 Samoa and Western Samoa 1974–

 Fiji15 1938, 1954–1986, 1998–2006

 Sarawak8 1958–1962

 The Gambia 1970–1982, 1990–  Scotland 1930–

 Ghana 1958–1982, 1990–  Seychelles 1990–

 Gibraltar 1958–  Sierra Leone 1966–1970, 1978, 1990–

 Gold Coast5 1954

 Singapore8 1958–

 Grenada 1970–1974, 1994–

 Solomon Islands 1982, 1990–

 Guernsey 1970–
 South Africa 1930–1958, 1994–

 Guyana 1966–1970, 1978–1982,  South Arabia1 1966

1990–
 Southern Rhodesia10 1954
 Hong Kong 1934, 1954–1962,
6

 Sri Lanka 1974–1982, 1990–

1970–1994

 Swaziland 1970–
 India 1934–1938, 1954–1958,
1966–1982, 1990–  Tanganyika13 1962

 Ireland7 1930  Tanzania 1966–1982, 1990–

 Irish Free State7 1934  Tonga 1974, 1982, 1990–

 Isle of Man 1958–

 Trinidad and Tobago 1934–1982, 1990–

 Jamaica 1934, 1954–1982, 1990–

 Turks and Caicos Islands 1978, 1998–

 Jersey 1958–  Tuvalu 1998–

  Kenya 1954–1982, 1990–  Uganda 1954–1982, 1990–

 Kiribati 1998–  Vanuatu 1982–

 Lesotho 1974–  Wales 1930–

 Malawi12 1970–  Zambia12 1970–1982, 1990–

 Malaya8 1950, 1958–1962  Zimbabwe12,14 1982, 1990–2002

 Malaysia 1966–1982, 1990–

 Maldives 1986–

Notes:

1: Aden became South Arabia which left the Commonwealth in 1968.

2: Became Guyana in 1966.

3: Became Belize in 1973.

4: Became Sri Lanka in 1972.

5: Became Ghana in 1957.

6: Left the Commonwealth when handed over to China in 1997.

7: Ireland was represented as a team from the whole of Ireland in 1930, and from the Irish Free State and Northern Ireland in 1934. The Irish

Free State, renamed Ireland in 1937 (but also known by its name in the Irish Eire) formally left the Commonwealth when it declared that it

was a Republic on 1 January 1949.

8: Malaya, North Borneo, Sarawak and Singapore federated as Malaysia in 1963. Singapore left the federation in 1965.

9: Joined Canada in 1949.

10: Southern Rhodesia and Northern Rhodesia federated with Nyasaland from 1953 as Rhodesia and Nyasaland which lasted till 1963.

11: Divided into Southern Rhodesia and Northern Rhodesia in 1953.

12: Competed from 1958–1962 as part of Rhodesia and Nyasaland.

13: Zanzibar and Tanganyika federated to form Tanzania in 1964.

14: Withdrew from the Commonwealth in 2003.

15: Suspended from the Commonwealth and Games in 2009.[7]

[edit]Commonwealth nations/dependencies/disputed territories yet to send

teams
Very few Commonwealth dependencies and nations have yet to take part:

 Tokelau is expected to take part in the 2010 Games in Delhi.

  Rwanda gained Commonwealth membership in 2010 and is expected to
take part in the 2010 Games in Delhi.

 Pitcairn Islands' tiny population (50 as of July 2009) would appear to prevent
this British overseas territory from competing.

 The British Indian Ocean Territory currently has no permenant pouplation

although there is a sizeable population who were born in the BIOT but
currently live in Mauritius and theUnited Kingdom and so would be eligible to
compete on birth criteria.

 The lack of a permanent population would seem to prevent the British

overseas territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich
Islands and British Antarctic Territory, the New Zealand territory of Ross
Dependency and the Australian external territories of Australian Antarctic
Territory, Ashmore and Cartier Islands and Heard Island and McDonald
Islands from competing.

 Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus has made applications to the CGF to

send teams.

 Other states, territories and territorial aunonomies with native populations

within the Commonwealth that may be eligible include Christmas Island,
the Cocos (Keeling) Islands,Rodrigues, Nevis and Zanzibar.

 It is also conceivable that any future members of the Commonwealth such

as applicant such as Sudan and Yemen may participate in future games.
The Federation of South Arabia, a precursor to modern Yeman has
participated before in 1966.

 Cornwall, represented by the Cornwall Commonwealth Games

Association (CCGA), sent a bid for participation in the 2006 Commonwealth
Games, however, their appication was rejected by the CGF, who stated that
the Constitutional status of Cornwall was not an issue that should be resolved
through this medium. However, in 2010, the CCGA sought to launch a legal
challenge to the decision of the CGF, stating that the Cornish bid of 2006
fulfilled the entire criterion of the CGF, and by rejecting the bid, the CGF had
violated their own code, failing to follow their own criteria for participation. The
Cornwall team will therefore seek competition in the 2014 games.[8]
[edit]Boycotts
 This article does not cite any references or sources.
Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may
be challenged and removed. (April 2010)

The Commonwealth Games has suffered from political boycotts over its history, largely associated
with apartheid-era South Africa. Nigeria boycotted the 1978 Games in protest of New Zealand's sporting
contacts with South Africa, while 32 of 59 nations from Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean boycotted the 1986
Commonwealth Games due to the Thatcher government's attitude towards South African sporting contacts.
Boycotts were also threatened in 1974, 1982, and 1990 because of South Africa.

[edit]Notable competitors

Lawn bowler Willie Wood from Scotland is the first competitor to have competed in seven Commonwealth
Games, from 1974 to 2002. Also, Greg Yelavich, a sports shooter from New Zealand, has won 11 medals in 6
games from 1986 to 2006.

[edit]See also

Wikimedia Commons has

media related
to: Commonwealth Games

 Indian Empire Games

 Jeux de la Francophonie

 Lusophony Games
[edit]References

1. ^ Harold, Perkin (September 1989). "Teaching the nations how to play: sport
and society in the British Empire and Commonwealth". International Journal

of the History of Sport 6 (2): pp. 145–155. doi:10.1080/09523368908713685.

2. ^ a b c d "The story of the Commonwealth Games". Commonwealth Games

Federation. Retrieved 20 January 2008.

3. ^ "1930 British Empire Games – Introduction". Commonwealth Games

Federation. Retrieved 29 October 2009.

4. ^ High Achievers. Australian Commonwealth Games Association. Retrieved

on 2010-04-05.

5. ^ a b c Growth of the Commonwealth Games. Commonwealth Games

Federation. Retrieved on 2010-04-05.
 6. ^ Sports Programme. Commonwealth Games Federation. Retrieved on 26
June 2009.

7. ^ http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?
c_id=2&objectid=10594683

8. ^ http://www.campaignkernow.com
[edit]External links
 Commonwealth Games Official website

 Statistics (1911 to 2006)

 Flags and emblems of the Commonwealth Games – evolution of the emblems

of the Games
[edit]Games sites
 Glasgow 2014 Official website

 Delhi 2010 Official website

 Pune 2008 Youth Games Official website

 Melbourne 2006 Official website

[edit]Associations

 Australian Commonwealth Games Association

 Commonwealth Games Council for England

 Guernsey Commonwealth Games Association

 Commonwealth Games Association of the Isle of Man

 Commonwealth Games Association of Jersey

[show]
v•d•e
Commonwealth Games

[show]
v•d•e
Commonwealth Games host cities

[show]
v•d•e
Associations at the Commonwealth Games

[show]
v•d•e
Commonwealth of Nations topics
 [show]
v•d•e
International multi-sport events

 Common Wealth Games

Categories: Host cities of the Commonwealth Games | Commonwealth Games | Commonwealth

sport | Recurring sporting events established in 1930 | Multi-sport events

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