This year marks the 22nd Commonwealth Games, which will be taking place in Birmingham. With the big event about a week away (at time of publication), we thought now would be a good time to look back at the history of the Commonwealth Games.
This Year’s Commonwealth Games
From Thursday the 28th July to Monday the 8th of August, the Commonwealth Games will take place in and around Birmingham. The opening ceremony will be hosed at the Alexander Stadium, which has been renovated especially for the event. For the duration of the Games, athletics events will take place at the stadium, whilst other events will be held elsewhere in the city or at venues throughout the West Midlands.
One event, the track cycling, will be held in London at the Lee Valley VeloPark.
In October of 2021, the Queen’s Baton Relay started. Nominated individuals visit the 72 nations and territories of the Commonwealth, passing the baton from bearer to bearer. This is reminiscent of the passing of the Olympic torch during the Olympic Games. The Baton Relay will conclude on the 28th of July at the opening ceremony.
What is the Commonwealth?
Founded in 1931, the Commonwealth (also known as the Commonwealth of Nations) is an association of 56 countries, all of which are independent but have chosen to work together to achieve a set of shared goals. The origins of the Commonwealth date back to the days of the British Empire, and many members were once British territories. Today, all countries are welcome to join.
Members of the Commonwealth include:
- The United Kingdom
- New Zealand
- Barbados
- India
- South Africa
- Nigeria
- Kenya
A full list of the Commonwealth’s member countries can be found on the Commonwealth website. During the Commonwealth Games, athletes from throughout the member nations compete in multiple sports, similar to the Olympics. Some members are represented by multiple teams.
For example, the United Kingdom is split into national teams – England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales – and teams from overseas territories.
The First Commonwealth Games
In 1930, the first ever Commonwealth Games were held in Canada. In that year, they were known as the British Empire Games. However, the origins of the event can be found in a letter written by John Astley Cooper. He proposed that a contest be held every four years to improve good will between the nations of the British Empire.
This idea came to fruition in 1911, as part of the celebrations of King George V’s coronation. Known as the Inter-Empire Championship, athletes from Australia, Canada, South Africa, and the UK competed in a series of sporting events. Unfortunately, the event was not met with a roaring reception, and so was not repeated.
It was not until the aftermath of the 1928 Summer Olympics, when Melville Marks Robinson lobbied for a four yearly sporting contest, that the British Empire Games were fully implemented. In that first year, only eleven nations were involved: Australia, Bermuda, British Guyana, Canada, England, Northern Ireland, Newfoundland, New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa, and Wales. The sports they competed in were athletics, boxing, lawn bowls, rowing, swimming and diving, and wrestling.
Changing Names
Over the course of its many events, the Commonwealth Games have had several names. From 1930 to 1950, they were known as the British Empire Games. A decision was made in 1952 to rename the event as the British Empire and Commonwealth Games, twenty-one years after the establishment of the Commonwealth itself. Then, a further eighteen years later, in 1970, they became the British Commonwealth Games.
This name would endure for only two of the contests – 1970 and 1974 – before they adopted the Commonwealth Games name. This latter name endures to this day, and better reflects the nature of the Games as an equal celebration of every Commonwealth nation rather than as being Britain-centric.
Significant Years
Whilst every Commonwealth Games event has been noteworthy, some were accompanied by other significant moments. Some of these events shaped the future of the Commonwealth Games, whilst others had further-reaching consequences.
- 1930 – First Commonwealth Games.
- 1934 – Games are moved from South Africa to England over concerns of prejudice towards Asian and black athletes.
- 1954 – The year of the ‘Miracle Mile’, in which two athletes ran races in less than four minutes.
- 1958 – Introduction of the Queen’s Baton Relay.
- 1966 – Commonwealth Games held in Jamaica, making them the first games outside the ‘White Dominions’.
- 1974 – First games to be named ‘The Friendly Games’.
- 1994 – Final appearance at the Commonwealth Games of Hong Kong before sovereignty was handed back to China.
Other Commonwealth Games
As well as the main Commonwealth Games, there have been a few accompanying events over the years.
In 1962, the Commonwealth Paraplegic Games were established. This was an international event in the same vein as the main games. In these games, which ran from 1962 to 1974, most athletes had either spinal injuries or polio. After the Paraplegic Games ended in 1974, disabled athletes were not involved in the Commonwealth Games again until the 1994 games.
Nowadays, disabled athletes are included as full members of their national teams. This made the Commonwealth Games the first full inclusive international multi-sport event.
There were also three Commonwealth Winter Games, between 1958 and 1966. They were intended to focus on winter sports as something of a counterpoint to the summer sports of the main Games, much like the Winter and Summer Olympics. However, the 1966 Winter Commonwealth Games were the last time the event took place. In 2010, Winter Games was proposed to accompany the Commonwealth Games in India, but this did not happen.
Finally, the Commonwealth Youth Games are also held every four years, operating under the same format as the main games. They are intended for athletes aged between 14 and 18. The Commonwealth Youth Games were first held in 2000, in Scotland.
Sports of the Commonwealth Games
Many of the sports of the Commonwealth Games also feature in the Olympic Games. In total, there are twenty-three approved sports, as well as seven para-sports – played by people with disabilities. Over the years, sports have been added and taken away.
Most recently, in 2015, ten sports were removed from the list.
Currently, the approved sports of the Commonwealth Games are:
- Archery
- Athletics
- Para Athletics
- Badminton
- Basketball
- Basketball 3×3
- Boxing
- Cricket
- Cycling (Mountain Bike)
- Cycling (Para Track)
- Cycling (Road)
- Cycling (Track)
- Diving
- Hockey
- Gymnastics (Artistic)
- Gymnastics (Rhythmic)
- Judo
- Lawn Bowls
- Para Lawn Bowls
- Netball (Women’s)
- Powerlifting
- Rugby Sevens
- Shooting
- Squash
- Swimming
- Para Swimming
- Table Tennis
- Para Table Tennis
- Triathlon
- Volleyball (Beach)
- Weightlifting
- Wheelchair Basketball
- Wrestling (Freestyle)
Enjoy the Commonwealth Games in Safety
The Commonwealth Games this year will be an event many people won’t want to miss. After the Olympic Games last year, this is the next big sports event on all our calendars. But it’s important to stay safe, even if you’re only watching on your television. A personal alarm from Carelink24 offers reassurance and peace of mind in the comfort of your own home.
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