Commonwealth games

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▪ Summer Olympics — information about the Summer Olympic Games.
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▪ Paralympic Games — information about the Paralympic Games.
Other Multi-Sport Events
▪ Commonwealth Games — everything you ever wanted to know about the
Commonwealth Games, the next being held on the Gold Coast in 2018.
▪ European Games — the inaugural event took place in 2015.
▪ Asian Games — multi-sport Games for Asian countries, first held in 1951.
▪ Gay Games — held every 4 years, is open to all who wish to participate, without regard
to sexual orientation.
▪ World Military Games — a multi-sport event for military sports people
▪ Youth Olympics — an international multi-sport event, held every four years for athletes
aged 14 to 18.
▪ History of the Commonwealth Games
▪ The concept
▪ The concept of a united Commonwealth sporting event had been talked about amongst
Commonwealth nations since the rebirth of the Olympic Games. A sporting competition
bringing together the members of the British Empire was first proposed by Reverend
Astley Cooper in 1891, when he wrote an article in The Times newspaper 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".
▪ The first Games
▪ No further development took place until 1928, when the Olympic Games were in
progress in Amsterdam. The splendid feelings of friendliness between the Empire athletes
at that Olympiad revitalized the idea for the revival of Empire meetings.
▪ The first Commonwealth Games, known as the British Empire Games at the time, were
held in Canada in 1930 in Hamilton, Ontario. 'Bobby' Robinson, who was a major player
within athletics in Canada at the time, was the driving force behind the event. The first
Games included 400 athletes from 11 countries. To help cover the traveling costs for the
visiting nations, the City of Hamilton provided $30,000.
 ▪ Support for the concept was forthcoming from England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland,
with the result that strong teams were sent to Canada. Teams also came from Australia,
New Zealand, Bermuda, British Guiana, Newfoundland and South Africa. The events at
this meeting comprised track and field athletics, swimming, rowing, boxing and
wrestling, and lawn bowls. While no points were allotted, it was fitting that Great Britain
filled the premier position.
▪ Ongoing Games
▪ The success of the first Games at Hamilton in 1930 provided enough incentive to make
them regular. Since 1930, they have taken place every four years except for 1942 and
1946, when they were disrupted due to World War II. The Melbourne Games are the 16th
to be held. From 1930 to 1950 the Games were known as the British Empire Games, then
the name was changed to the British Empire and Commonwealth Games until 1962.
From 1966 to 1974 they had the title of British Commonwealth Games and from 1978
onwards they have been known as simply the Commonwealth Games
▪ The Friendly Games
▪ While other Games around the globe have been founded on geographic or climatic
factors such as the Asian, Pan Am, African Games and Winter Olympics, the
Commonwealth Games has been founded on history. A unique characteristic of the
Commonwealth Games is being the only Games which share a common language. All
athletes and officials can converse with each other in English, creating an atmosphere that
has led to the Commonwealth Games being long known as the "Friendly Games".

The 'Friendly Games'

The Commonwealth Games is a sporting event staged between the elite athletes of countries
from the Commonwealth. It is held every four years, and is conducted over many sports, in a
format much like the Olympic Games.

The Commonwealth Games attracts the top athletes of member nations of the Commonwealth,
thus making it a world-class competition, second only to the Olympic Games in many people's
opinion.

The Commonwealth Games are unique in the world of sport as it is based on a historical linkage
of Commonwealth countries, not based on geographic features such as the Asian, Pan Am and
African Games, or based on climatic conditions such as the Winter Olympics. The Games are
also unique as it shares a common language, unlike the Olympic Games, as all athletes and
officials can speak with each other in English, creating an atmosphere that has led to the
Commonwealth Games being long known as the 'Friendly Games'.
Host City List
The Commonwealth Games was last held on the Gold Coast of Australia in 2018. It was the fifth
time Australia had hosted the Commonwealth Games (1938, 1962, 1982, 2006, 2018). Canada
has hosted four Commonwealth Games (1930, 1954, 1978, 1994), and in 2022 England will host
the event for the third time (1934, 2002, 2022). Nine nations have hosted the Commonwealth
Games at some time. Two cities have hosted Commonwealth Games more than once: Auckland
(1950, 1990) and Edinburgh (1970, 1986).