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Commonwealth Games

Commonwealth Games Federation seal, adopted in 2001
Motto	HUMANITY – EQUALITY – DESTINY
Headquarters	London, England
Commonwealth Secretariat	Hon. Michael Fennell OJ, CD
Website	Commonwealth Games Federation

The Commonwealth Games is a multinational, multi-sport event. Held every four years, it involves the elite athletes of the Commonwealth of Nations. Attendance at the Commonwealth Games is typically around 5,000 athletes. The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) is the organisation that is responsible for the direction and control of the Commonwealth Games.

The first such event, then known as the British Empire Games, was 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.^[1]

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.

There are currently 53 members of the Commonwealth of Nations, and 71 teams participate in the Games. The four constituent countries of the United Kingdom – England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – send separate teams to the Commonwealth Games (unlike at the Olympic Games, where the United Kingdom sends a single team), and individual teams are also sent from the British Crown dependencies – Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man – and many of the British overseas territories. 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.

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.

At the 1930 games, women competed in the swimming events only.^[2] From 1934, women also competed in some athletics events^{[citation needed]}.

The next edition will be held in 2010 in Delhi, India. In 2014 the Games will be held in Glasgow, Scotland.

Origins

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 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, Ontario two years later.

Opening ceremony traditions

• From 1930 through 1950, the parade of nations was led by a single flagbearer carrying the Union Flag, symbolising Britain's leading role in the British Empire.
• 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.

Boycotts

The Commonwealth Games, like the Olympic Games, has also suffered from political boycotts. Nigeria boycotted the 1978 Games in protest of New Zealand's sporting contacts with apartheid-era South Africa, and 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.

Editions

British Empire Games

• 1930 games – Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
• 1934 games – London, England,
• 1938 games – Sydney, Australia
• 1950 games – Auckland, New Zealand

British Empire and Commonwealth Games

• 1954 games – Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
• 1958 games – Cardiff, Wales,
• 1962 games – Perth, Australia
• 1966 games – Kingston, Jamaica

British Commonwealth Games

Flag of the
British Commonwealth Games

• 1970 games – Edinburgh, Scotland
• 1974 games – Christchurch, New Zealand

Commonwealth Games

• 1978 games – Edmonton, Canada
• 1982 games – Brisbane, Australia
• 1986 games – Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
• 1990 games – Auckland, New Zealand
• 1994 games – Victoria, Canada
• 1998 games – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• 2002 games – Manchester, England,
• 2006 games – Melbourne, Australia
• 2010 games – Delhi, India
• 2014 games – Glasgow, Scotland
• 2018 games – To Be Determined by 2011

List of nations/dependencies to compete

Nations/dependencies that have competed

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.^[3]

Commonwealth nations/dependencies 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.^[4]

• The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus have made applications to the CGF to send teams.

• The Pitcairn Islands' tiny population (50 as of July 2009) would appear to prevent the overseas territory from competing. For the same reason  Saint Helena's territories of  Ascension Island and  Tristan da Cunha are unlikely to ever send separate teams.

• The lack of a permanent population would seem to prevent the overseas territories of  South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands,  British Antarctic Territory and  British Indian Ocean Territory from competing

• Other states and territories with native populations within the Commonwealth that may be eligible include  Christmas Island, the  Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Rodrigues, and Zanzibar.

• It is also conceivable that any future members of the Commonwealth such as applicants  Sudan and  Yemen may participate in future games.

•  Rwanda may send a team due to becoming a member of the Commonwealth in November 2009.

Approved sports

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.^[5]

Numbers of athletes, sports, and nations

This list shows the total number of athletes, male and female, the number of sports they were selected to compete in, and the number of nations (including dependencies) competing.

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

¹Total including athletes and officials. ²Includes 4 team sports. ³Includes 3 team sports.

Notable competitors

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

See also

• Commonwealth Winter Games
• Commonwealth Youth Games
• Indian Empire Games
• Jeux de la Francophonie
• Lusophony Games

References

External links

• Commonwealth Games Official website
• Commonwealth Games News website
• Commonwealth Games Visitors website
• Commonwealth Games 2010 website
• Statistics by game from 1911 to 2006
• Commonwealth Games Blog
• Flags and emblems of the Commonwealth Games – evolution of the emblems of the Games
• The Empire Strikes Back – 2002 Australian radio programme (with transcript) on the history and future of the "friendly games".
• Track and Field Results Almanac

Official games sites

• Glasgow 2014 Official website
• Delhi 2010 Official website
• Pune 2008 Youth Games Official website
• India & Commonwealth games 2010: Specific information
• Melbourne 2006 Official website
• Manchester 2002 Official website
• Kuala Lumpur 1998 Official Website

Countries

• Australian Commonwealth Games Association
• Commonwealth Games Association of the Isle of Man
• Commonwealth Games Association of Jersey
• Commonwealth Games Council for England
• Guernsey Commonwealth Games Association

Commonwealth of Nations topics History British Empire · Balfour Declaration · Statute of Westminster · London Declaration · Singapore Declaration · Harare Declaration · Edinburgh Declaration Governance Head of the Commonwealth (Elizabeth II) · Secretariat · Secretary-General (Kamalesh Sharma) · Deputy Secretaries-General · Secretariat Directors · Marlborough House Heads of Government Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (2009 · 2011) · Chairperson-in-Office (Patrick Manning) · Ministerial Action Group Commonwealth Family Association of Commonwealth Universities · Commonwealth Business Council · Commonwealth Foundation · Commonwealth Games Federation · Commonwealth Parliamentary Association · Commonwealth War Graves Commission BECM · CAP · CBA · CET · CFA · CHRI · CJIA · CoL · CLA · CLGF · CPSU · CPU · CSFP · ESU · ICS · RCEL · RCS · ROSL · SSI Members List of members · Membership criteria · Special membership · Suspension · Commonwealth realm · Commonwealth republic Culture English language · Commonwealth Games (2006 · 2010)  · Symbols · Commonwealth Flag · Commonwealth Day · Commonwealth Writers' Prize · Round Table movement · The Round Table Journal · Commonwealth citizenship Lists Commonwealth Family · Extreme points · Member states · Prime Ministers · Tallest structures · Visits by Queen Elizabeth II

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

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Commonwealth Games

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Noun

Commonwealth Games

1. a sporting event, somewhat like the Olympic Games, held every four year and involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations