English Commonwealth Games

The Commonwealth Games are one of the major international sports championships, in company with the Olympic Games, World Championships and regional events, such as the European Championships or the Pan-American Games. The Commonwealth Games take place every four years and involve the countries that belong to the former British Commonwealth. The event had its origins in the British Empire Games, first contested in Hamilton, Ontario, in 1930. The Commonwealth Games Federation is responsible for organizing the event.

  1. Participants

    • The Games feature competitors from 71 member nations around the world, particularly Great Britain, Canada, the Caribbean, Asia, Africa and Oceania. Great Britain's participation is different from any other major international event with separate teams from England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. In other international events, the country competes as a single team -- Great Britain and Northern Island.

    Sports

    • The 2014 Commonwealth Games will be in Glasgow, Scotland, and will feature 17 sports. The principle sports are athletics, swimming and diving, cycling, gymnastics, shooting, weightlifting and hockey. Para sports were featured for the first time at the 2002 Games in Manchester, England, with five events, growing to 15 medal events at Delhi, India, in 2010.

    Host Cities

    • Site of the Commonwealth Games rotates among member countries. The Topend Sports Network website shows that Canada, the venue for the first event in 1930, and Australia each have hosted the Games on four occasions. New Zealand and Scotland each have played host on three occasions.

    Friendly

    • The Commonwealth Games are known as the "Friendly Games." This is partly because all of the participating countries have historical relationships with each other, and partly because English is the common language of the majority of the competing countries. Topend Sports Network states that the Commonwealth Games is the only international sporting event to share a common language.

    Competition

    • Although the games are called friendly, competition is intense. The track and field events, for example, feature the world's top distance runners from Kenya and other African countries, together with top-ranking sprinters from the Caribbean. Australian swimmers are generally among the leading medal contenders at other global events such as the Olympic Games or World Championships.

    Records

    • Only one Commonwealth Games track medalist has ever won his event in world record time -- Filbert Bayi of Tanzania in the 1974 1,500 meters. However, many past and present world record holders have held Commonwealth Games titles.