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Commonwealth Games Federation

The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) is the organisation responsible for direction andcontrol of Commonwealth Games. Commonwealth Games Federation is the supreme authority inall matters related to Commonwealth Games. CGF ³owns´ the Commonwealth Games like

International Olympic Committee ³owns´ the Olympic Games.

Vision of Commonwealth Games Federation is to promote a unique, friendly, world classCommonwealth games and also to develop sport for benefit of people.

In January 2005, Commonwealth Games Federation vice-president Raja Randhir Singh showed aconcern that Delhi was behind schedule in forming an organising committee. However, on 18thJanuary 2008, Commonwealth Games Federation approved Delhi's progress.

In Sept 2009, Commonwealth Games Federation Chief Mike Fennell reported that the gameswere at the risk of falling behind schedule and it was "logical to conclude that current situation

poses a serious risk to Commonwealth Games in 2010.

Commonwealth Youth Games

In the year 2000 CGF took on the added responsibility of Commonwealth Youth Games, open toathletes 18 years of age. Commonwealth Youth Games provide an excellent opportunity for aspiring young athletes from the Commonwealth with a touch of what Commonwealth Gameshas in store for them in near future. The inaugural Games were held in Edinburgh with the lastedition hosted in 2004 in Bendigo, Australia. In such a short span of time Commonwealth YouthGames has grown in size and this is evident by award of the 2011 Commonwealth Youth Gamesto the Isle of Man. City of Pune, India hosted 3rd Commonwealth Youth Games between

October 12 and 18, 2008.

Commonwealth Games History

Commonwealth Games history goes back to year 1930.First Commonwealth Games, known as British Empire Games at that time, were conducted inCanada in 1930 in Hamilton, Ontario. These Games included 400 athletes from 11 countries. Inorder to cover the travelling costs for visiting nations, the City of Hamilton gave $30,000.Support for the concept was forthcoming from England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, with theresult that strong teams were sent to Canada. Teams also came from Australia, Bermuda, BritishGuiana, New Zealand, Newfoundland and South Africa. While no points were allotted, it wasfitting that Great Britain filled the premier position. Commonwealth Games history is 79 yearsold now.It is the first time in Commonwealth Games history that this event would be held in India, NewDelhi.

In Commonwealth Games history only India will be the third developing country to host thisevent after Jamaica in 1966 and Malaysia in 1998. Its the second time the event would be held inAsia.



Commonwealth Games Medals

Winning Commonwealth games medals are the dream of every nation participating in the event.Commonwealth games medals to be won by these nations would of three types ± Gold, Silver and Bronze.

The 2002 Games in Manchester also saw for the first time, a limited number of full medal eventsfor best athletes with a disability in a fully inclusive sports programme.

y Commonwealth games medals count in Commonwealth Games tend to be heavily slantedtowards the largest, industrialized nations such as England, Canada and Australia makingthe games somewhat one-sided.

y Out of the previous 17 Games, Commonwealth games medals won by Australia has thecount of 10 times, with England 6 times and Canada 1 time.

Since 1930 Australia has won 1,894 Commonwealth games medals, the maximum of any nation participating

History of the Commonwealth

Games

The concept

The concept of a united Commonwealth sporting event had been talkedabout amongst Commonwealth nations since the rebirth of the OlympicGames. 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 newspaper suggesting a "Pan-Britannic-Pan-Anglican Contest and Festival every four years as ameans of increasing the goodwill and good understanding of the BritishEmpire".

The Precursor

In 1911, the 'Festival of Empire' was held in London to celebrate the coronation of King GeorgeV. As part of the festival, an Inter-Empire Championships was held in which teams fromAustralia, Canada, South Africa and the United Kingdom competed in events such as boxing,wrestling, swimming and athletics. A trophy in the form of a silver cup, 2ft 6in high andweighing 340oz, the gift of Lord Lonsdale, was presented to the winning country, which wasCanada.

The first Games

the 2006 Games Mascotsee more about previous Mascots



No further development took place until 1928, when the Olympic Games were in progress inAmsterdam. The splendid feelings of friendliness between the Empire athletes at that Olympiadrevitalized the idea for the revival of Empire meetings.

The first Commonwealth Games, known as the British Empire Games at the time, were held in

Canada in 1930 in Hamilton, Ontario. 'Bobby' Robinson, who was a major player within athleticsin Canada at the time, was the driving force behind the event. The first Games included 400athletes from 11 countries. To help cover the traveling costs for the visiting nations, the City of Hamilton provided $30,000.

Support for the concept was forthcoming from England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, with theresult that strong teams were sent to Canada. Teams also came from Australia, New Zealand,Bermuda, British Guiana, Newfoundland and South Africa. The events at this meeting comprisedtrack and field athletics, swimming, rowing, boxing and wrestling, and lawn bowls. While no points were allotted, it was fitting that Great Britain filled the premier position.

Ongoing Games

The success of the first Games at Hamilton in 1930 provided enough incentive to make themregular. Since 1930, they have taken place every four years except for 1942 and 1946, when theywere disrupted due to World War II. The Melbourne Games are the 16th to be held. From 1930to 1950 the Games were known as the British Empire Games, then the name was changed to theBritish Empire and Commonwealth Games until 1962. From 1966 to 1974 they had the title of British Commonwealth Games and from 1978 onwards they have been known as simply theCommonwealth Games (see name changes).

The Friendly GamesWhile other Games around the globe have been founded on geographic or climatic factors suchas the Asian, Pan Am, African Games and Winter Olympics, the Commonwealth Games has been founded on history. A unique characteristic of the Commonwealth Games is being the onlyGames which share a common language. All athletes and officials can converse with each other in English, creating an atmosphere that has led to the Commonwealth Games being long knownas the "Friendly Games".

Host Cities

From the first host city of Hamilton in Canada, the Games have been held in many of the major Commonwealth Countries. Canada again held the Games in Vancouver in 1954, Edmonton in1978 and Victoria in 1994. Australia has also held the games on four occasions, Sydney in 1938,Perth 1962, Brisbane 1982 and Melbourne in 2006. In 1998, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia hostedthe games for the first time in an Asian country. In 2010, the Games return to Asia to be held inDelhi. More details about each of the Games from 1930 onwards can be found on the individualhost pages, which are linked from the list of host cities

cwg history1

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