Over the years, tens of thousands of sportsmen have participated in the Commonwealth Games. Some have defeated failure whereas some have accepted the defeat. It all started in 1930 when the first season of the tournament was introduced. The Games are held every four years involving 72 nations and territories. Currently, there are 54 members of the Commonwealth of Nations.
The Commonwealth Games is a massive global event, and is extensively known as “The Friendly Games”. Officially, English is spoken during the tournament except the spoken language of the host country. However, there can be more than one language spoken if a country is multilingual apart from English.
In this blog post, we are going to highlight some of the inspirational events that occurred at the Commonwealth Games. In addition to that, we will highlight the history and great record over the past years.
About Commonwealth Games
So far, nineteen cities in nine countries have hosted the event. Countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Canada, India, the United Kingdom, Botswana, Pakistan, and more participate every year in this multi-game tournament.
From the countries mentioned above, Australia has staged the Commonwealth Games five times. Namely in 1938, 1962, 1982, 2006 and 2018. This is the highest record of time a country has recorded holding the games than any other nation.
Two cities in the entire world have hosted the Commonwealth Games more than once. Auckland, New Zealand held the tournament in 1950 and 1990. Whereas the Scottish capital, Edinburgh conducted the games in 1970 and 1986.
The recently held Commonwealth Games were conducted in the English city of Birmingham in 2022. Before that the games were held in the Gold Coast of Australia, during the year 2018. The Commonwealth Youth Games have complemented the Commonwealth Games since 2000, involving athletes aged 14 to 18. So far, six more editions have been introduced in non-games years with Nassau, Bahamas being the most recent one.
The purpose of the Commonwealth Games
Commonwealth Games have been the entertainment aspect for most of us. Not only that it also gives ground to excellent sportsmen to show off their skills and reach higher. The first game was introduced by Canada’s Melville Marks “Bobby” Robinson in Hamilton in 1930. He was the team leader and manager for Canada at the Amsterdam 1928 Olympics. In addition to that, he was the sports editor of the local newspaper. His talent and remarks persuaded city officials to pay $30,000 to conceal the travel cost of the team. Bobby helped in the creation of the Hamilton Olympic Club with his active participation, becoming the first Club President in 1926.
The purpose of the Commonwealth Games is to promote peace and prosperity. The tournament works on behalf of member countries to show unity and harmony. This includes supporting countries with small business development, legislation, election monitoring, and human rights. In particular, it promotes the role and rights of children and women.
Multiple organizations and networks work under the Commonwealth Games to execute and support this work.
History of Commonwealth Games
The first Game tournament at Hamilton in 1930 was a success and nourished good incentive to continue with them. Commonwealth Games history will surprise you and encourage your ambition. It all started in 1914 when the Great War ensued. It ended the games for good until in 1928 the progression of the games again started in Amsterdam.
The first Games in 1930 took place with 400 athletes and around 11 Commonwealth countries participated. Around $30,000 was given for the travel expenses by the City of Hamilton. Countries such as England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland politically supported the games and were considered strong teams for participation. They were sent to Canada to actively partake in the tournament.
Teams from countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Bermuda, British Guiana, Newfoundland, and South Africa contested too. Events such as athletics, boxing, swimming, rowing, wrestling, and lawn bowls were included in the games and were seen as friendly. Nevertheless, Great Britain sealed the premier position in the games.
Since 1930, the Commonwealth Games have been held every four years. Except in 1942 and 1946, when the games were canceled due to World War 2. From 1930 to 1950, the Commonwealth Games were widely called the British Empire Games. However, to make things more formal, a fresh name for the British Empire and Commonwealth Games was given to the event in 1962.
The name of the games was again changed and was referred to as the British Commonwealth Games from 1966 to 1974. However, in 1978, the games were decided to simply be called the Commonwealth Games.
Popular Events at the Commonwealth Games
- Many inspirational moments have occurred at the Commonwealth Games. This included the famous race called the “ Mile of the Century”. The race was held between England’s Roger Bannister and Australia’s John Landy in 1954. The rush and thrill of the race have made many people startled.
- Another inspirational moment occurred when Rosefelo Siosi lost the finals but won the heart of the crowd. This Solomon Islands teenager gave a great example of how determination, regardless of the outcome, is a trait that every gentleman should possess.
- One of the most inspirational moments of the Commonwealth Games was when Lynsey Sharp came back from hospital and won a silver prize. The Scottish 800m runner showed immense courage and optimism in the Commonwealth of the year 2012, held in London. She has proved herself to be a real fighter by overcoming illness and winning a silver medal.
- The world felt chills to their spine when Erraid Davis, became the youngest Commonwealth medalist in history. Her amplitude and hard work made her win a bronze medal in the 100m breaststroke SB9 finals. She had extreme difficulty walking when she was just four and suffered from Perthes’ Disease. The rare condition restricted her hip movement, causing difficulty to move. She won the Commonwealth Games in the year 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and set remarks to the world.
Conclusion
The Commonwealth Games have changed world history, conscience, harmony, and more. Ever since the start of the game tournaments, multiple countries have had the opportunity to come together and participate in a competition that brings together their power and competitive senses. In this blog post, we have highlighted the history of the Commonwealth Games, its significance, and some greatest moments ever recorded.
FAQs:
The Commonwealth Games of 2023 were held in Birmingham, England.
There are more than recorded 4600 participants in the 2022 Commonwealth Games tournament among the 72 nations.
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