COMMONWEALTH GAMES

About Commonwealth Games

The first commonwealth games were held in 1930 at Hamilton, Canada. They are conducted like olympics, once in four years. All commonwealth countries participate in the sports events which is next to olympics in terms of participating countries.

India is being hosted the game at New Delhi from 3rd-14th of October, 2010. Seventeen (17) sports events will take place in this games. Except this 17 events cricket, Swimming, Snooker, Billiards was considered to be played.

At the first games 400 athletes from eleven of the seventy-one Commonwealth countries competed in only six sports. Women only competed in the swimming events at the first games!

Athlete's Oath

An Oath is taken on behalf of all the competitors at the Opening Ceremony of each Games. The oath is: " We declare that we will take part in the Commonwealth Games of (year) in the spirit of true sportsmanship, recognising the rules which govern them and desirous of participating in them for the honour of our Commonwealth and for the glory of sport".

The Queen's Baton Relay

The Queen is the Patron of the Commonwealth Games Federation, possibly the most well known traditions of the games is the Queen's Baton relay, first begun in 1958 in Cardiff, Wales. Traditionally the baton leaves Buckingham Palace (London), containing a message from her Majesty, it signifies the call for all athlete's to come together to celebrate the games. The 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games sees the baton travelling through all seventy-one Commonwealth nations in a year and a day!

Commonwealth games where & when

Year                Venue                         Countries Participated          No. of Disciplines

1930    Hamilton, Ontario, Canada `                          11                                6

1934    London, England                                           16                                6

1938    Sydney, New South Wales, Australia            15                                7

1950    Auckland, New Zealand                                12                                9

1954    Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada           24                                9

1958    Cardiff, Wales                                               35                                9

1962    Perth, Western Australia, Australia                35                                9

1966    Kingston, Jamaica                                          34                                9

1970    Edinburgh, Scotland                                       42                                9

1974    Christchurch, New Zealand                            39                                9

1978    Edmonton, Alberta, Canada                           46                                10

1982    Brisbane, Queensland, Australia                     46                                10

1986    Edinburgh, Scotland                                       26                                10

1990    Auckland, New Zealand                                29                                10

1994    Victoria, British Columbia, Canada                34                                13

1998    Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia                                70                                16

2002    Manchester, England                                     70                                16

2006    Melbourne, Victoria, Australia                       71                                16

2010    New Delhi, India                                           71                                17

2014    Glasgow, Scotland                                        71                                71