Coomonweath games

Commonwealth Games
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Commonwealth Games

Seal of the Commonwealth Games Federation


Commonwealth Games Federation Flag
Abbreviation CG
Motto HumanityEqualityDestiny
First event 1930
Occur every Every 4 years
Headquarters London, England
President HRH Prince Tunku Imran
Website www.thecgf.com
The Commonwealth Games (known as the British Empire Games from 19301950, the British
Empire and Commonwealth Games from 19541966, and British Commonwealth Games from
19701974)
[1]
is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of
Nations. The event was first held in 1930, and, with the exception of 1942 and 1946, which were
cancelled due to World War II, has taken place every four years since then. The games are the
fourth largest multi-sport event in the world, after the Olympic Games, the Asian Games, and
the Maccabiah Games.
The games are overseen by the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), which also controls the
sporting programme and selects the host cities. A host city is selected for each edition, and 18 cities
in seven countries have hosted the event. Apart from manyOlympic sports, the games also include
some sports that are played predominantly in Commonwealth countries, such as lawn
bowlsand netball.
[2]

Although there are 53 members of the Commonwealth of Nations, 71 teams participate in the
Commonwealth Games, as a number of dependent territories compete under their own flag. The
four Home Nations of the United KingdomEngland, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Irelandalso
send separate teams. Only six teams have attended every Commonwealth Games: Australia,
Canada, England, New Zealand, Scotland, and Wales. Australia has been the highest achieving
team for twelve games, England for six, and Canada for one.
Contents
[hide]
1 History of the Games
2 Editions of the Games
o 2.1 Total Commonwealth Games by country
3 Approved sports
4 Participation
o 4.1 Commonwealth nations/dependencies/disputed territories yet to
send teams
5 Notable competitors
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
History of the Games[edit]


Flag of the British Commonwealth Games from 1978-1998
A fishing competition bringing together the members of the British Empire was first proposed by the
John 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 goodwill and good
understanding of the British Empire". The John Astley Cooper Committees world wide (e.g.
Australia) helped Pierre de Coubertin to get his international Olympic Games off the ground fast.
[3]
In
1911, the Festival of the Empire was held at The Crystal Palacein 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 British Empire Games;
these were held in 1930, in Hamilton, Ontario,
[1]
and women competed in the swimming events
only.
[4]
From 1934, women also competed in some athletics events.
The first Commonwealth Paraplegic Games were held alongside the Commonwealth Games from
1962 to 1974.
[5]
Athletes with a disability were then first included in exhibition events at the 1994
Commonwealth Games in Victoria, British Columbia,
[6]
and, at the 2002 Commonwealth Games,
they were included as full members of their national teams, making them the first fully inclusive
international multi-sport games. This meant that results were included in the medal count.
[7]

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.
Editions of the Games[edit]


Countries that have hosted, or plan to host, the event
Other countries that enter the games
Countries that 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 in which 11 nations participated.
The quadrennial schedule of the games was interrupted by the Second World War and the 1942
Games (set to be held in Montreal) and the 1946 Games were abandoned.
[8]
The games were
revived in 1950 and underwent a name change four years later with the first British Empire and
Commonwealth Games in 1954.
[1]
Over 1000 athletes participated in the 1958 Games as over thirty
teams took part for the first time.
[9]

The Edmonton event marked a new high as almost 1500 athletes from 46 countries took part.
[9]

Nigeria was the first country to boycott the Commonwealth Games in 1978 in protest over New
Zealand's sporting contacts with South Africa. Participation at the 1986 Games was affected by a
boycott by 32 African and Caribbean nations in protest to British Prime Minister Margaret
Thatcher's refusal to condemn sporting contacts 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.
[1]
Participation also reached new levels as over 3500 athletes represented
70 teams at the event. At the Games in Melbourne in 2006, over 4000 athletes took part in sporting
competitions.
[9]

The three nations to have hosted the games the most times are Australia (5), Canada (4) and New
Zealand (3). Furthermore, six editions have taken place, or will take place, in the countries within the
United Kingdom (Scotland 3, England 2 and Wales 1), twice in Asia (Malaysia 1 and India 1) and
only once in the Caribbean (Jamaica 1). Only two cities have held the games on multiple occasions:
Auckland (1950 and 1990), and Edinburgh (1970,1986 and some events in 2014).
Edition
Yea
r
Host City
Host
Nation
Start
Date
End Date
Sport
s
Event
s
Nation
s
Competito
rs
Top
Placed
Team
Inter-Empire Championships
Inter-Empire
Championshi
ps
191
1
London
Englan
d
12 May 00 June 4 9 4 Unknown Canada

Edition
Yea
r
Host City
Host
Nation
Start
Date
End Date
Sport
s
Event
s
Nation
s
Competito
rs
Top
Placed
Team

British Empire Games
I Games
193
0
Hamilton Canada 16 August 23 August 6 59 11 400
Englan
d
II Games
193
4
London
Englan
d
4 August 11 August 6 68 16 500
Englan
d
III Games
193
8
Sydney
Australi
a
5
February
12
February
7 71 15 464
Australi
a
IV Games
195
0
Auckland
New
Zealand
4
February
11
February
9 88 12 590
Australi
a
British Empire and Commonwealth Games
V Games
195
4
Vancouver Canada 30 July 7 August 9 91 24 662
Englan
d
VI Games
195
8
Cardiff Wales 18 July 26 July 9 94 36 1122
Englan
d
VII Games
196
2
Perth
Australi
a
22
Novembe
r
1
December
9 104 35 863
Australi
a
VIII Games
196
6
Kingston Jamaica 4 August 13 August 9 110 34 1050
Englan
d
British Commonwealth Games
IX Games
197
0
Edinburgh
Scotlan
d
16 July 25 July 9 121 42 1383
Australi
a
X Games
197
4
Christchur
ch
New
Zealand
24
January
2
February
9 121 38 1276
Australi
a
Commonwealth Games
XI Games
197
8
Edmonton Canada 3 August 12 August 10 128 46 1474 Canada

XII Games
198
2
Brisbane
Australi
a
30
Septembe
r
9 October 10 142 46 1583
Australi
a
XIII Games
198
6
Edinburgh
Scotlan
d
24 July 2 August 10 163 26 1662
Englan
d
XIV Games
199
0
Auckland
New
Zealand
24
January
3
February
10 204 55 2073
Australi
a
XV Games
199
4
Victoria Canada 18 August 28 August 10 217 63 2557
Australi
a
XVI Games
199
8
Kuala
Lumpur
Malaysi
a
11
Septembe
r
21
Septembe
r
15 213 70 3633
Australi
a
XVII Games
200
2
Mancheste
r
Englan
d
25 July 4 August 17
1
281 72 3679
Australi
a
XVIII Games
200
6
Melbourne
Australi
a
15 March 26 March 16
2
245 71 4049
Australi
a
XIX Games
201
0
Delhi
India 3 October
14
October
17
1
272 71 6700
Australi
a
XX Games
201
4
Glasgow
Scotlan
d
23 July 3 August 17
1
261 71


XXI Games
201
8
Gold
Coast
Australi
a
4 April 15 April


XXII Games
202
2
Edmonton or
Durban
Canada
or
South
Africa
To Be
Announce
d
To Be
Announce
d


Notes
1
Includes 3 team sports
2
Includes 4 team sports
Total Commonwealth Games by country[edit]
Rank Country Continent No. of times Years hosted
1 Australia Oceania 5 1938, 1962, 1982, 2006, 2018
2 Canada Americas 4 1930, 1954, 1978, 1994
3
New Zealand Oceania 3 1950, 1974, 1990
Scotland Europe 3 1970, 1986, 2014
England Europe 3 1911*, 1934, 2002
6
India Asia 1 2010
Malaysia Asia 1 1998
Jamaica Americas 1 1966
Wales Europe 1 1958
Notes
* 1911 Inter-Empire Championships held in London
Approved sports[edit]
Further information: Commonwealth Games sports and Commonwealth Games records
There are a total of 21 sports (with two multi-disciplinary sports) and a further seven 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.
[10]

Sport Type Years
Archery Optional 1982, 2010
Athletics Core 1911present
Badminton Core 1966present
Basketball Optional 2006, 2018
Billiards Recognised Never
Boxing Core 1911present
Canoeing Recognised Never
[11]

Cricket Recognised 1998
Cycling Optional 1934present
Diving Optional 1930present
Fencing Recognised 19501970
Football Recognised Never
Golf Recognised Never
Gymnastics (Artistic) Optional 1978, 1990present
Sport Type Years
Gymnastics (Rhythmic) Optional 1978, 1990present
Handball Recognised 1930
Hockey Core 1998present
Judo Optional 1990, 2002, 2014
Lawn bowls Core 1930present (except 1966)
Life saving Recognised Never
Netball Core 1998present
Rowing Optional 1930, 19381962, 1986
Rugby league Recognised Never
Rugby sevens Core 1998present
Sailing Recognised Never
Shooting Optional 1966, 1974present
Softball Recognised Never
Squash Core 1998present
Sport Type Years
Swimming Core 1911present
Synchronized swimming Optional 1986, 2006
Table tennis Optional 2002present
Taekwondo Optional Never
Tennis Optional 2010
Ten-Pin Bowling Recognised 1998
Triathlon Optional 2002, 2006, 2014
Volleyball Recognised Never
Water Polo Recognised 1950
Weightlifting Core 1950present
Wrestling Optional 1911present (except 1990,1998 and 2006)
Participation[edit]
Only six teams have attended every Commonwealth Games: Australia, Canada, England, New
Zealand, Scotland and Wales. Australia has been the highest scoring team for twelve games,
England for seven and Canada for one.
[show]Table of Team Participation by Commonwealth Games Edition
Aden
1
1962 Montserrat 1994
Anguilla
2
1998
Australasia 1911
Antigua and Barbuda 19661970,
1978, 1994
Australia 1930
Bahamas 19541970, 19781982,
1990
Bangladesh 1978, 1990
Barbados 19541982, 1990
Belize
4
1978, 1994
Bermuda 19301938, 19541982,
1990
Botswana 1974, 1982
British Guiana
3
19301938, 1954
1962
British Honduras
4
19621966
British Virgin Islands 1990
Brunei Darussalam 1958, 1990
Cameroon 1998
Canada 1911
Cayman Islands 1978
Ceylon
5
19381950, 19581970
Cook Islands 19741978, 1986
Cyprus 19781982, 1990
Dominica 19581962, 1970, 1994
England 1911
Falkland Islands 1982
Fiji
6
1938, 19541986, 19982006
Gambia
7
19701982, 19902010
Ghana 19581982, 1990
Gibraltar 1958
Gold Coast
8
1954
Grenada 19701982, 1998
Guernsey
9
1970
Guyana
3
19661970, 19781982,
1990
Hong Kong
10
1934, 19541962,
19701994
India 19341938, 19541958, 1966
1982, 1990
Ireland
11

12
1930
Irish Free State
11
1934
Isle of Man 1958
Jamaica 1934, 19541982, 1990
Jersey
9
1958
Kenya 19541982, 1990
Mozambique 1998
Namibia 1994
Nauru 1990
Newfoundland
15
19301934
New Zealand 1930
Nigeria 19501958, 19661974, 1982, 19901994,
2002
Niue 2002
Norfolk Island 1986
North Borneo
14
19581962
Northern Ireland
11

16
19341938, 1954
Northern Rhodesia
17
1954
Pakistan 19541970, 1990
Papua New Guinea 19621982, 1990
Rhodesia 19341950
Rhodesia and Nyasaland
17
19581962
Rwanda 2010
Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla
2
1978
Saint Helena (with Ascension Island and Tristan da
Cunha)
19
1982, 1998
Saint Kitts and Nevis
2
1990
Saint Lucia 1962, 1970, 1978, 1994
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1958, 19661978,
1994
Samoa
20
1998
Sarawak
14
19581962
Scotland 1930
Seychelles 1990
Sierra Leone 1958, 19661970, 1978, 1990
Singapore
14
1958
Solomon Islands 1982, 1990
South Africa 19111958, 1994
South Arabia
1
1966
Southern Rhodesia
17
1954
Sri Lanka 19741982, 1990
Swaziland 1970
Tanganyika
21
1962
Tanzania 19661982, 1990
Tonga 1974, 1982, 1990
Trinidad and Tobago 19341982, 1990
Turks and Caicos Islands 1978, 1998
Tuvalu 1998
Uganda 19541982, 1990
Vanuatu 1982
Wales 1930
Kiribati 1998
Lesotho 1974
Malawi
13
1970
Malaya
14
1950, 19581962
Malaysia 19661982, 1990
Maldives 1986
Malta 19581962, 1970, 1982
Mauritius 19581982, 1990
Western Samoa
20
19741994
Zambia
13
19701982, 1990
Zimbabwe
13

22
1982, 19902002
Notes:
1. ^ Aden later joined South Arabia in 1963 and departed the
Commonwealth in 1968.
2. ^ Anguilla was completely separated from Saint Christopher-
Nevis-Anguilla in 1980 and remaining Saint Kitts and Nevis
became independent from the United Kingdom in 1983.
3. ^ British Guiana was renamed Guyana in 1966.
4. ^ British Honduras was renamed Belize in 1973.
5. ^ Ceylon was renamed Sri Lanka in 1972.
6. ^ Fiji was suspended from the Commonwealth and Games in
2009.
[12]

7. ^ Gambia withdrew from the Commonwealth in 2013
8. ^ Gold Coast (British colony) was renamed Ghana in 1957.
9. ^ Including neighbouring Islands.
10. ^ Hong Kong was never a Commonwealth member but was a
territory of a Commonwealth country; it ceased to be in the
Commonwealth when the territory was handed overto China in
1997.
11. ^ Ireland was represented as a team from the whole of
the island in 1930, and from both parts, the Irish Free State and
Northern Ireland in 1934. The Irish Free State was
renamed Ireland in 1937 (but also known by its name in
Irish ire), was formally excluded from the Commonwealth
when it declared that it was a Republic on 18 April 1949.
12. ^ Contemporary illustrations show Green Flag used for the Irish
team.
13. ^ Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe competed from 19581962 as
part of Rhodesia and Nyasaland.
14. ^ Malaya, North Borneo, Sarawak and Singapore federated as
Malaysia in 1963. Singapore left the federation in 1965.
15. ^ Newfoundland joined Canada in 1949.
16. ^ The Ulster Banner was the flag of the former Government of
Northern Ireland only between 1953 and 1972, but the flag has
been regarded as flag of Northern Ireland since 1924
among unionists and loyalists. In the Commonwealth Games, it
is used also as flag of Northern Ireland.
17. ^ Southern Rhodesia and Northern Rhodesia federated with
Nyasaland in 1953 as Rhodesia and Nyasaland, which
dissolved at the end of 1963.
18. ^ Southern Rhodesia and Northern Rhodesia competed
separately in 1954.
19. ^ Under the name of "Saint Helena" in the Commonwealth
Games.
[13]
Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha were
dependencies of Saint Helena, so the territory was officially
called "Saint Helena and Dependencies" until 2009. Saint
Helena, Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha became equal
parts of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha in 2009.
20. ^ Western Samoa was renamed Samoa in 1997.
21. ^ Zanzibar and Tanganyika federated to form Tanzania in 1964.
22. ^ Zimbabwe withdrew from the Commonwealth in 2003.
Commonwealth nations/dependencies/disputed territories yet to send
teams[edit]
Very few Commonwealth dependencies and nations have yet to take part:
Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha, former dependencies
of Saint Helena and current parts of the British Overseas Territory
of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, has never
formed their own teams independent from the Saint Helena team.
Other states, territories and territorial autonomies with native
populations within the Commonwealth that may be eligible
include Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling)
Islands (territories of Australia), Nevis (a federal entity of
the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis), Rodrigues (outer
islands of Mauritius), and Zanzibar (a semi-autonomous part of
Tanzania).
Cornwall, represented by the Cornwall Commonwealth Games
Association (CCGA), sent a bid for participation in the 2006
Commonwealth Games, however, their application 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.
[14]

The British Indian Ocean Territory currently has no permanent
population although there is a sizeable population who were born in
the BIOT but currently live in Mauritius and the United Kingdom and
so would be eligible to compete on birth criteria.
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus has made applications to the
CGF to send teams.
South Sudan was likely to compete at the 2014 Commonwealth
Games.
[15]

It is also conceivable that any future members of the
Commonwealth such as applicants (for
example Sudan and Yemen) may participate in future games.
The Colony of Adenand Federation of South Arabia, precursors to
modern Yemen, participated before in 1962 and in 1966. Sudan
was an Anglo-Egyptian protectorate until independence in 1956.
The Pitcairn Islands' tiny population (currently 50 to 60 people)
would appear to prevent this British overseas territory from
competing.
Tokelau was expected to take part in the 2010 Games in Delhi but
did not do so.
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, Coral
Sea Islands and Heard Island and McDonald Islands from
competing.
Notable competitors[edit]
Lawn bowler Willie Wood from Scotland was the first competitor to have competed in seven
Commonwealth Games, from 1974 to 2002, a record equalled in 2014 by Isle of Mancyclist Andrew
Roche.
[16]
Also, Greg Yelavich, a sports shooter from New Zealand, has won 12 medals in seven
games from 1986 to 2010.
Nauruan weightlifter Marcus Stephen won twelve medals at the Games between 1990 and 2002, of
which seven gold, and was elected President of Nauru in 2007. His performance has helped place
Nauru (the smallest independent state in the Commonwealth, at 21 km
2
and with a population of
fewer than 9,400 in 2011) in nineteenth place on the all-time Commonwealth Games medal table.
See also[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has
media related
toCommonwealth Games.
All-time medal tally of Commonwealth Games
All-Africa Games
Asian Games
Commonwealth Mountain and Ultradistance Running
Championships
Indian Empire Games
Jeux de la Francophonie
Kingdom Games
Lusophony Games
Mediterranean Games
Olympic Games
Pan American Games
Universiade
World Games
References[edit]
1. ^ Jump up to:
a

b

c

d
"The story of the Commonwealth Games".
Commonwealth Games Federation. Retrieved 20 January 2008.
2. Jump up^ 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. 145155. doi:10.1080/09523368908713685.
3. Jump up^ Arnd Krger (1986): War John Astley Cooper der
Erfinder der modernen Olympischen Spiele? In: LOUIS
BURGENER u.a. (Hrsg.): Sport und Kultur, Bd. 6. Bern: Lang, 72 -
81.
4. Jump up^ "1930 British Empire Games Introduction".
Commonwealth Games Federation. Retrieved 29 October 2009.
5. Jump up^ DePauw, Karen P; Gavron, Susan J (2005). Disability
sport. Human Kinetics. pp. 102. ISBN 978-0-7360-4638-1.
Retrieved 25 February 2012.
6. Jump up^ Van Ooyen and Justin Anjema, Mark; Anjema, Justin
(25 March 2004). "A Review and Interpretation of the Events of the
1994 Commonwealth Games" (PDF). Redeemer University
College. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
[dead link]

7. Jump up^ "Para-sports for elite athletes with a
disability". Commonwealth Games Federation website. Retrieved
25 February 2012.
8. Jump up^ High Achievers
[dead link]
. Australian Commonwealth
Games Association. Retrieved on 2010-04-05.
9. ^ Jump up to:
a

b

c
Growth of the Commonwealth Games.
Commonwealth Games Federation. Retrieved on 2010-04-05.
10. Jump up^ Sports Programme. Commonwealth Games
Federation. Retrieved on 26 June 2009.
11. Jump up^ 5 hours ago (11 June 2010). "Canoeing closer to being
a full-medal event". Commonwealthdelhi2010.blogspot.com.
Retrieved 26 October 2011.
12. Jump up^ "Fiji suspended from Commonwealth". The New
Zealand Herald. 2 September 2009. Retrieved 25 September
2011.
13. Jump up^ "Commonwealth Games Federation - Commonwealth
Countries". Retrieved 10 April 2013.
14. Jump up^ "Campaign Kernow". Campaign Kernow. Retrieved 26
October 2011.
15. Jump up^ "South Sudan faces race against time to make it to start
line for London 2012". Insidethegames.biz. 10 July 2011. Retrieved
26 October 2011.
16. Jump up^ "Glasgow 2014: Mark Cavendish relishes idea of racing
with mates". BBC Sport. 10 May 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
External links[edit]
Commonwealth Games Official Website
Statistics (1911 to 2006)
[dead link]

2014 Commonwealth Games Glasgow
Flags and emblems of the Commonwealth Games evolution of the
emblems of the Games
[show]
V
T
E
Commonwealth Games
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V
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Associations at the Commonwealth Games
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V
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Commonwealth of Nations topics
[show]
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Multi-sport events
Categories:
Commonwealth Games
Multi-sport events
Commonwealth sport
British Empire
Commonwealth of Nations
Sport and politics
Recurring sporting events established in 1930
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