Commonwealth Events

The Commonwealth Events takes place among athletes having citizenship of Commonwealth of Nations member countries. The Commonwealth Games is a multi-sport event incorporating both individual and team sports. The 2010 Commonwealth Games are scheduled to be held in the Indian capital city of New Delhi.


Sporting Events

The following sporting events are scheduled to be held at the 2010 Commonwealth Games at Delhi:
  • Archery
  • Badminton
  • Cycling
  • Gymnastics
  • Lawn Bowls
  • Rugby 7s
  • Squash
  • Tennis
  • Wrestling
  • Aquatics
  • Athletics
  • Boxing
  • Hockey
  • Netball
  • Shooting
  • Table Tennis
  • Weightlifting


The administration of the sporting event is under the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF).

Unique Participation

Commonwealth Events resemble-but do not mirror Olympic sporting events. The list of games played include sports that are unique to Commonwealth nation states like Netball and Rugby 7s. There are approximately 53 member nations of the Commonwealth. However, approximately 71 teams take part. This anomaly is due to the fact that many countries send multiple teams that reflect the nation's ethnic or regional diversity. For example, United Kingdom itself sends 4 teams- Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales, and England. New Zealand sees participation from two non-sovereign states- Niue and Cook Islands.

Starting Point

The first Commonwealth Games were held in 1930 in the city of Hamilton, Ontario province, Canada. At that time the games were known as the British Empire Games. In 1974, the name was finally changed to Commonwealth Games.

Controversies

The Commonwealth Games had its fair share of controversies in its illustrious history. The African country of Nigeria boycotted the 1978 series in protest against New Zealand's contact with apartheid era of South Africa in those times.

Last Updated on : 14 September 2010