Commonwealth Games

Introduction

The Commonwealth Games is a multi-sport event where athletes from countries that were a part of the British Commonwealth in the colonial era participate. Earlier, these games were known as the British Empire Games.

The event is considered a mega-international affair, and people from all races, beliefs, languages and traditions come together to celebrate the sportsmanship of the countries.

The games are based on three values: humanity, quality and destiny. These aid in making the Games a symbol of the unification of human beings worldwide.

The Games are notable in terms of participation as well.

17 overseas territories, island nations, and crown dependencies participate separately from the other 54 Commonwealth members.

These consist of the United Kingdom's Home Nations, the Channel Islands, and locations like Bermuda, Montserrat, and the British Virgin Islands.

Table of Contents

• Details
• History
• Theme
• Registration
• Host Countries
• Ceremonies
• Conclusion

Details

Let’s have a look at the important highlights of the Commonwealth Games.

There have been 22 Commonwealth Games held to date. The next Commonwealth Games is scheduled to happen in 2026.

History

The Commonwealth Games has a rich history as it has been held for several years now.

In 1891, John Astley Cooper proposed a sporting competition to unite the entire British Empire. Several committees were formed in countries like Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, which gave rise to the Olympic Games Movement.

Melville Marks Robinson, a famous Canadian journalist, attended the Summer Olympics of 1928.

He was the manager of the field and track team of Canada. He started the proposal of organising the first British Empire Games.

He succeeded, and the first British Empire Games, now known as the Commonwealth Games, was held in Hamilton in 1930, from 16th August to 23rd August 1930. It was integrated by Lord Willingdon and cost around $97,973.

Since then, every game is organised at a 4-year interval. However, these games were cancelled in 1942 and 1946, respectively, because of World War 2.

The first Commonwealth Games saw participation from 11 countries like Australia, Bermuda, British Guyana, Canada, England, North Ireland, Newfoundland, New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa and Wales.

All of these countries sent a total of 400 athletes. Several sporting events, from athletics to swimming, were part of the Commonwealth Games. 

Since then, several other sports have been added, and 56 countries now participate in the Commonwealth Games.

In 1954, the event's name was changed to British Empire and Commonwealth Games. It was held in Vancouver, Canada. In 1970, the event's name was again changed, and they started calling it the British Commonwealth Games.

Theme

The theme of the Commonwealth Games changes with annually, while also being based on the country that hosts the event.

In 2022, the Commonwealth Games were organised by Birmingham, England, and the year's theme was ‘Delivering a Common Future: Connecting, Innovating, Transforming.

The theme also tries to capture the essence of what is collectively happening in the 54 countries that form a part of the Commonwealth.

It shows how the member countries are on a path of innovation and are actively taking measures to achieve some of the biggest goals, like improving international relations and protecting natural resources.

In 2022, the theme was chosen to showcase the bond that all the countries share. The motto of the 2022 Commonwealth Games was ‘Sport is just the beginning.’

Some of the past themes of the Commonwealth Games has had interesting themes like ‘A Connected Commonwealth’, ‘ Towards a Common Future’, ‘An Inclusive Commonwealth’, etc.

Registration

The Commonwealth Games is a voluntary association of more than 54 countries. All of these countries are considered equal in the perspective of the event.

Earlier, the sole criterion for being a part of the Commonwealth was the country's association with the British Empire.

However, the eligibility criteria were reviewed, and the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting decided on the following criteria in Uganda in November 2007:

• Unless there are special circumstances, an applicant country should generally have a historic constitutional link with an existing Commonwealth member
• All the applications will be checked and considered on a case-to-case basis
• The country must adhere to the fundamental values, priorities and principles the Commonwealth decides. These guidelines are a part of the 1971 Declaration of Commonwealth Principles and several other declarations released after 1971
• The country should showcase a commitment to democracy and different democratic processes. It must also have a trustworthy judiciary system in place. The country must also showcase freedom of expression and equal opportunities
• An applicant nation shall acknowledge His Majesty King Charles III as the Head of the Commonwealth and accept Commonwealth norms and traditions, such as using English as the medium of inter-Commonwealth relations

The heads of Government also decided that if an existing member country changes its constitutional status, it should not have to reapply again to the Commonwealth games.

Once a country meets all the eligibility criteria, it must follow the 4-step process of joining the Commonwealth. The four steps involved in joining the Commonwealth games are:

• The Secretary-General conducts an informal assessment once the country expresses its interest in becoming a part of the Commonwealth
• The Secretary-General consults the member states
• A request for the interested nation to submit a formal application
• A formal application demonstrating the effectiveness of democratic procedures and public support for that nation's membership in the Commonwealth

The process also specifies that the Heads of Government will review the application at the following CHOGM. If they decide to approve it, the country will become a member of the Commonwealth and be invited to future gatherings.

Host Countries

Let’s have a look at the host countries of all the Commonwealth Games that have been conducted to date for over 22 times now, since 1930.

The next Commonwealth Games will be organised in 2026 in the State of Victoria, Australia. The event will begin on 17th March and go on till 29th March.

Ceremonies

The entire Commonwealth games comprise different kinds of ceremonies.

These ceremonies are conducted at every Commonwealth Games, regardless of the host country. However, organising these ceremonies may differ from country to country.

Some of these important ceremonies are the following:

Opening Ceremony

This particular ceremony marks the beginning of the Commonwealth games. The members of the Commonwealth Games federation hoist the host country’s flag, and the host country's national anthem is performed.

During the opening ceremony, the flags of the Commonwealth Games Federation, the previous host country, and the following host country are also hoisted.

The guest country then performs artistic music, singing, dancing, and theatre performances that reflect its culture.

Closing Ceremony

The closing ceremony marks the end of the Commonwealth Games for that particular year. The event takes place only when all the sporting events are completed.

The athletes collectively enter the stadium after each participating nation's flag bearers. The closing remarks are delivered by the CGF president and the organising committee president, and the Games are then declared to be over.

Medal Presentation

After every sporting event, a medal ceremony is conducted to acknowledge the first, second and third-place athletes for that particular sport. Gold, silver and bronze medals are given to them, respectively.

Once the medals are presented, the flags of the winning countries are raised. The national anthem of the gold medallist’s country is also played in the background.

Conclusion

The Commonwealth Games is a celebratory event celebrating the Commonwealth and all its participating nations. More than 200 different programmes are a part of this event.

These games continue for eight days, and the countries celebrate them with great pomp and show.

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