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Commonwealth Games

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Sports events

   Current flag of the Commonwealth Games Federation
   Current flag of the Commonwealth Games Federation
   Locations of the games, and participating countries
   Locations of the games, and participating countries

   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 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 1974.

   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, 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 non-sovereign states in free association
   with New Zealand.

   Only six teams have attended every Commonwealth Games: Australia,
   Canada, England, New Zealand, Scotland and Wales.

Origins

   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 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 (Bobby) Robinson of Canada was asked to
   organise the first 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 to South
   African sporting contacts. Boycotts were also threatened in 1974, 1982,
   and 1990 because of South Africa.

Editions

British Empire Games

     * 1930 British Empire Games - Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
     * Flag of England 1934 British Empire Games - London, England
     * Flag of Australia 1938 British Empire Games - Sydney, New South
       Wales, Australia
     * Flag of New Zealand 1950 British Empire Games - Auckland, New
       Zealand

British Empire and Commonwealth Games

     * 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games - Vancouver, British
       Columbia, Canada
     * Flag of Wales 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games - Cardiff,
       Wales
     * Flag of Australia 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games -
       Perth, Western Australia, Australia
     * Flag of Jamaica 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games -
       Kingston, Jamaica

British Commonwealth Games

     * Flag of Scotland 1970 British Commonwealth Games - Edinburgh,
       Scotland
     * Flag of New Zealand 1974 British Commonwealth Games - Christchurch,
       New Zealand

Commonwealth Games

     * Flag of Canada 1978 Commonwealth Games - Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
     * Flag of Australia 1982 Commonwealth Games - Brisbane, Queensland,
       Australia
     * Flag of Scotland 1986 Commonwealth Games - Edinburgh, Scotland
     * Flag of New Zealand 1990 Commonwealth Games - Auckland, New Zealand
     * Flag of Canada 1994 Commonwealth Games - Victoria, British
       Columbia, Canada
     * Flag of Malaysia 1998 Commonwealth Games - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Commonwealth Games Federation

     * Flag of England 2002 Commonwealth Games Federation - Manchester,
       England
     * Flag of Australia 2006 Commonwealth Games Federation - Melbourne,
       Victoria, Australia
     * Flag of India 2010 Commonwealth Games Federation - Delhi, India

2014 Commonwealth Games bid cities

     * Flag of Nigeria Abuja, Nigeria
     * Flag of Scotland Glasgow, Scotland

2018 Commonwealth Games potential bidders

     * Flag of Australia Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
     * Flag of New Zealand Christchurch, New Zealand
     * Flag of South Africa Durban, South Africa
     * Flag of Canada Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
     * Flag of Pakistan Karachi, Pakistan
     * Flag of Zambia Lusaka, Zambia
     * Flag of England Sheffield, England
     * Flag of Canada Toronto, Ontario, Canada
     * Flag of New Zealand Wellington, New Zealand

List of nations/dependencies to compete

Nations/dependencies that have competed

     * Aden 1962
     * Flag of Anguilla  Anguilla 1982, 1998—
     * Flag of Antigua and Barbuda  Antigua and Barbuda 1966–1970, 1978,
       1994—
     * Flag of Australia  Australia 1930—
     * Flag of The Bahamas  Bahamas 1954–1970, 1978–1982, 1990—
     * Flag of Bangladesh  Bangladesh 1978, 1990—
     * Flag of Barbados  Barbados 1954–1966, 1970–1982, 1990—
     * Flag of Belize  Belize 1978, 1994—
     * Flag of Bermuda  Bermuda 1930–1938, 1954–1982, 1990—
     * Flag of Botswana  Botswana 1974, 1982—
     * British Guiana 1930–1938, 1954–1962
     * British Honduras 1962–1966
     * Flag of British Virgin Islands  British Virgin Islands 1990—
     * Flag of Brunei Brunei Darussalam 1958, 1990—
     * Flag of Cameroon  Cameroon 1998—
     * Flag of Canada  Canada 1930—
     * Flag of Cayman Islands  Cayman Islands 1978—
     * Flag of Sri Lanka Ceylon 1938–1950, 1958–1970
     * Flag of Cook Islands  Cook Islands 1974–1978, 1986—
     * Flag of Cyprus  Cyprus 1978–1982, 1990—
     * Flag of Dominica  Dominica 1958–1962, 1970, 1994—
     * Flag of England  England 1930—
     * Flag of Falkland Islands  Falkland Islands 1982—
     * Flag of Fiji  Fiji 1938, 1954–1986, 1998—
     * Flag of The Gambia The Gambia 1970–1982, 1990—
     * Flag of Ghana  Ghana 1958–1982, 1990—
     * Flag of Gibraltar  Gibraltar 1958—
     * Gold Coast 1954
     * Flag of Grenada  Grenada 1970–1974, 1994—
     * Flag of Guernsey  Guernsey 1970—
     * Flag of Guyana  Guyana 1966–1970, 1978–1982, 1990—
     * Hong Kong 1934, 1954–1962, 1970–1994
     * Flag of India  India 1934–1938, 1954–1958, 1966–1982, 1990—
     * Ireland 1930
     * Irish Free State 1934
     * Flag of Isle of Man  Isle of Man 1958—
     * Flag of Jamaica  Jamaica 1934, 1954–1982, 1990—
     * Flag of Jersey  Jersey 1958—
     * Flag of Kenya  Kenya 1954–1982, 1990—
     * Flag of Kiribati  Kiribati 1998—
     * Flag of Lesotho  Lesotho 1974–
     * Flag of Malawi  Malawi 1970—

     * Flag of Malaysia  Malaysia 1966–1982, 1990, 1950, 1958–1962
     * Flag of Maldives  Maldives 1986—
     * Flag of Malta  Malta 1958–1962, 1970, 1982—
     * Flag of Mauritius  Mauritius 1958, 1966–1982, 1990—
     * Flag of Montserrat  Montserrat 1994—
     * Flag of Mozambique  Mozambique 1998—
     * Flag of Namibia  Namibia 1994—
     * Flag of Nauru  Nauru 1990—
     * Newfoundland 1930–1934
     * Flag of New Zealand  New Zealand 1930—
     * Flag of Nigeria  Nigeria 1950–1958, 1966–1974, 1982, 1990–1994,
       2002—
     * Flag of Niue  Niue 2002—
     * Flag of Norfolk Island  Norfolk Island 1986—
     * North Borneo 1958–1962
     * Flag of Northern Ireland  Northern Ireland 1934–1938, 1954—
     * Northern Rhodesia 1954
     * Flag of Pakistan  Pakistan 1954–1970, 1990—
     * Flag of Papua New Guinea  Papua New Guinea 1962–1982, 1990—
     * Rhodesia 1934–1950
     * Rhodesia and Nyasaland 1958–1962
     * Flag of Saint Helena St Helena 1982, 1998—
     * Flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis St Kitts and Nevis 1978, 1990—
     * Flag of Saint Lucia  Saint Lucia 1962, 1970, 1978, 1994—
     * Flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines  Saint Vincent and the
       Grenadines 1958, 1966–1978, 1994—
     * Flag of Samoa Samoa and Western Samoa 1974—
     * Flag of Scotland  Scotland 1930—
     * Flag of Seychelles  Seychelles 1990—
     * Flag of Sierra Leone  Sierra Leone 1966–1970, 1978, 1990—
     * Flag of Singapore  Singapore 1958—
     * Flag of Solomon Islands  Solomon Islands 1982, 1990—
     * Flag of South Africa  South Africa 1930–1958, 1994—
     * South Arabia 1966
     * Southern Rhodesia 1954
     * Flag of Sri Lanka  Sri Lanka 1974–1982, 1990—
     * Flag of Swaziland  Swaziland 1970—
     * Tanganyika 1962
     * Flag of Tanzania  Tanzania 1966–1982, 1990—
     * Flag of Tonga  Tonga 1974, 1982, 1990—
     * Flag of Trinidad and Tobago  Trinidad and Tobago 1934–1982, 1990—
     * Flag of Turks and Caicos Islands Turks and Caicos 1978, 1998—
     * Flag of Tuvalu  Tuvalu 1998—
     * Flag of Uganda  Uganda 1954–1982, 1990—
     * Flag of Vanuatu  Vanuatu 1982—
     * Flag of Wales  Wales 1930—
     * Flag of Zambia  Zambia 1970–1982, 1990—
     * Flag of Zimbabwe  Zimbabwe 1982, 1990–2002

Commonwealth nations/dependencies yet to send teams

   The fact that very few Commonwealth dependencies and nations have yet
   to take part is evidence of the popularity of the Games in Commonwealth
   countries. Indeed, of those nations, Tokelau is likely to be taking
   part in 2010 Games in Delhi. Representations have also been made to the
   CGF for teams to take part in the Commonwealth Games from Cornwall and
   the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

List of sports at the Commonwealth Games

   The current regulations state that a minimum of ten and no more than
   fifteen sports must be included in a Commonwealth Games schedule. There
   is a list of core sports, which must be included, and a further list of
   approved sports from which the host nation chooses which to include.
   The host nation may also apply for the inclusion of other team sports
   to the CGF General Assembly, like the Melbourne organising committee
   did with Basketball for the 2006 Games.

   The current core sports consist of athletics, aquatics (swimming,
   diving and synchronised swimming), lawn bowls, netball (for women) and
   rugby sevens (for men). These will all remain core sports until at
   least the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

   The approved list of sports also includes archery, badminton, billiards
   and snooker, boxing, canoeing, cycling, fencing, gymnastics, judo,
   rowing, shooting, squash, table tennis, tennis, tenpin bowling,
   triathlon, weightlifting, wrestling and sailing. Some of these are
   often included in the programme, while others, like billiards and
   sailing, have not yet been approved.

   In 2002, the CGF introduced the David Dixon Award for the outstanding
   athlete of the Games.

   There is also a requirement to include some events for Elite Athletes
   with a Disability (EAD). This was introduced in the 2002 Games.

   On November 18, 2006, tennis and archery were added to the list of
   disciplines for the 2010 games in New Delhi, bringing the total number
   of sports to 17. Billiards and snooker were considered but were not
   accepted.

Sports currently included

   The years, in brackets, show when the sports have appeared at the
   games.
     * Aquatics (1930—)
          + Swimming
          + Synchronised swimming
          + Diving
     * Athletics (men: 1930—, women: 1934—)
     * Badminton (1966—)
     * Basketball (2006—)
     * Boxing (1930—)
     * Cycling (1934—)
     * Gymnastics (1978, 1990—)
          + Rhythmic gymnastics 1994–1998, 2006—)
     * Field hockey (1998—)
     * Lawn bowls (1930–1962, 1972—)
     * Netball (1998—)
     * Rugby sevens (1998—)
     * Shooting (1966, 1974—)
     * Squash (1998—)
     * Table tennis (2002—)
     * Triathlon (2002—)
     * Weightlifting (1950—)
     * Events for Athletes with a Disability (2002—)
          + Athletics
          + Swimming
          + Table tennis
          + Powerlifting

Events on hiatus

     * Archery (1982 probably 2010)
     * Cricket (1998)
     * Fencing (1950–1970) (See also Commonwealth Fencing Championships)
     * Freestyle wrestling (1930–1986, 1994, 2002,come back in 2010)
     * Judo (1990, 2002) (See also Commonwealth Judo Championships)
     * Rowing (1930, 1938–1962, 1986) (maybe held in 2014 if Glasgow wins
       nomination)
     * Ten-pin bowling (1998) (see also Commonwealth Tenpin Bowling
       Championships

Events which were never held

     * Karate - see also Commonwealth Karate Championships
     * Tennis
     * Snooker
     * Yachting
     * Taekwondo - see also Commonwealth Taekwondo Championships
     * Water Polo
     * Lifesaving - see also Commonwealth Pool Lifesaving Championships

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_Games"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
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