History of Commonwealth Games

Commonwealth Games journey began in 1930, when the first official games were hosted in the city of Hamilton in Canada. Back then, the multi-sporting quadrennial event was known as British Empire Games, as the participating teams were part of Commonwealth of Nations, a group formed of British colonies. The event gained massive popularity, and the multi-sporting event became a prestigious global sporting event.

The opening ceremony of the first game took place in the Civic Stadium in Hamilton where Lord Willingdon, the then Governor General of Canada, declared the games open. The origins of the Commonwealth Games can be traced back to late nineteenth and early twentieth century, where the foundations for a quadrennial sporting event like Commonwealth Games were laid down.

Commonwealth Games is one of the prestigious sporting events in the world. It is a multi national sporting event and is held every 4 years. The event is organized by the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF). The history of Commonwealth Games is quite interesting and the origin of the games can be traced back to the early 20th century.

The Commonwealth Games history dates back to the 19th century. Rev. Astly Cooper of England is credited for making the initial concept of the Commonwealth Games. The concept was first made in the year 1891 and was meant for increasing the goodwill and understanding among the commonwealth nations. The concept was finalized and took place around the early 20th century.

The first commonwealth games were known as the British Empire Games. The event took place in the year 1930 in Canada. The event was named as the Commonwealth Games in the year 1954 but was again renamed as the British Commonwealth Games in 1970. In the year 1974, the name was again changed to Commonwealth Games. The official symbol for the event was adopted in the year 1952.

Indian Participation at Commonwealth Games has always been full of glory. The sportsmen and athletes of India have always made their country proud by emerging victorious in various events. India will also host the Commonwealth Games 2010 in Delhi which is indeed a matter of prestige for the country.

The Commonwealth Games have been hosted by various countries across the globe. All these events are an important epoch in the history of Commonwealth Games. The event has been held in:

Event	Year	Host City/ Country
British Empire Games	1930	Ontario, Canada
British Empire Games	1934	London, United Kingdom
British Empire Games	1938	Sydney, Australia
British Empire Games	1950	Auckland, New Zealand
British Empire and Commonwealth Games	1954	Vancouver, Canada
British Empire and Commonwealth Games	1958	Cardiff, United Kingdom
British Empire and Commonwealth Games	1962	Perth, Australia
British Empire and Commonwealth Games	1966	Kingston, Jamaica
British Commonwealth Games	1970	Edinburgh, Scotland
British Commonwealth Games	1974	Christchurch, New Zealand
Commonwealth Games	1978	Edmonton, Canada
Commonwealth Games	1982	Brisbane, Australia
Commonwealth Games	1986	Edinburgh, Scotland
Commonwealth Games	1990	Auckland, New Zealand
Commonwealth Games	1994	Victoria, Canada
Commonwealth Games	1998	Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Commonwealth Games	2002	Manchester, United Kingdom
Commonwealth Games	2006	Melbourne, Australia
Commonwealth Games	2010	Delhi, India