The Commonwealth Games 2022 are all set to take place in Birmingham in the United Kingdom from July 28, 2022, to August 8, 2022. Commonly referred to as friendly games, it is a gaming tournament in which athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations participate in several sporting events and win medals for their nation. Since 1930, these games have been conducted after every four years.
Like the Commonwealth Games, India also has a long history of participating. It first competed in the commonwealth games during its second edition in 1934. Since then, India has become an essential part of the commonwealth games. So much so that it hosted the 19th edition of the Commonwealth Games in 2010.
Here are the key details of the Commonwealth Games 2022 and India’s participation in it:
History of Commonwealth Games
The first edition of the Commonwealth Games took place in 1930 in Hamilton in Ontario, Canada. The second edition was held in 1934 in England, whereas the third was in Sydney in Australia in 1938. After this, there were no commonwealth games till 1950 due to World War II. In 1950, it was held in Auckland, New Zealand. It was followed by subsequent editions of the game held every four years in different parts of the world.
Initially, from 1930 to 1950, this game was called British Empire Games. Then, from 1954 to 1966, it was known as the British Empire and Commonwealth Games, as British Commonwealth Games from 1970 to 1974 and then eventually as the Commonwealth Games.
The Commonwealth Games Federation looks after this global multi-sport event. It is also responsible for the sports and host cities’ selection. The Queen’s Baton, which is held before the beginning of the event and the opening and closing ceremonies, is one of the essential rituals of the Commonwealth Games.
An event that started with only 400 athletes from 11 countries today has 4,600 male and female athletes from 72 nations and territories coming together to celebrate humanity.
Commonwealth Games 2022
The XXII (22nd) Commonwealth Games are scheduled to be held in Birmingham from late July to mid-August. This is the third time that England is hosting this multi-sport event. Previously, it was held in London in 1934 and Manchester in 2002.
The event and all related formalities will be undertaken by the Birmingham Organising Committee for the 2022 Commonwealth Games. This time a total of 72 countries are participating in the game. The Queen’s Baton Relay has been undergoing since October 7, 2021, and will conclude on July 28, 2022, when the Opening Ceremony will take place in the Alexander Stadium. The Closing Ceremony will occur at the same venue on August 8, 2022.
This year, sports like badminton, boxing, cycling, gymnastics, hockey, netball, judo and others have also been added to the list of sports played in the Commonwealth Games. It includes Basketball 3×3, Women’s T20 Cricket, Wheelchair Basketball 3×3, and Para Table Tennis.
Moreover, the 2022 Commonwealth Games emblem is a triangular “B” with blue and yellow gradient lines. This time, the mascot is the ‘Perry’, a multi-coloured bull. It is associated with Birmingham’s history and was designed by Emma Lou, a ten-year-old Bolton kid.
India’s participation in Commonwealth Games 2022
The Indian Olympic Association has recently announced its list of 215 athletes along with 107 official and supporting staff representing India in the 2022 Commonwealth Games. The sole goal of India this time is to do better than their last performance in the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in 2018. India finished third in that event.
Except for 1930, 1950, 1962 and 1986, India has been a part of all the editions of the commonwealth games. In such a long journey, it has won 503 medals in total, out of which there are 181 gold medals, 173 silver medals, and 149 bronze medals.
The Indian Olympic Association has said they are sending their strongest team to this multi-sports event. This long list of athletes includes famous names like Dutee Chand, Hima Das, PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen, Nikhat Zareen, Lovlina Borgohain, Harmanpreet Kaur, Savita Punia, Mirabai Chanu, Bajrang Punia, Ravi Kumar Dahiya and Neeraj Chopra.
