Commonwealth Games

The Commonwealth Games is an international multi-sport event held every four years, bringing together athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. This group includes many countries that were once part of the British Empire. The Games started in 1930 as the British Empire Games and have changed names many times, reflecting history. Today, they are known simply as the Commonwealth Games.

The Games are organized by the Commonwealth Games Federation. They include both traditional Olympic sports and others that are very popular in the Commonwealth, such as netball, lawn bowls, and squash. One special tradition is the King's Baton Relay, where a baton is carried around the world before the Games begin.

Athletes of all abilities can compete, and since 2018, the Games have offered the same number of events for men and women, with more events for women than men since 2022. The Games have been held in many cities, with Australia hosting the most often. The most recent Games were in Birmingham in 2022. The next Games will be in Glasgow from July 23 to August 2, 2026. After that, the Games will be held in Ahmedabad, India, in 2030, marking the Centenary Games.

History

A big sports event for countries that were once part of the British Empire was first suggested in 1891. The idea was to hold a contest every four years to build friendship and understanding. Committees formed in places like Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa to support this idea. It also inspired the creation of the Olympic Games.

In 1911, a competition was held in London to celebrate a special event. Teams from several countries took part in sports like running, boxing, swimming, and wrestling. Canada won that year.

Planning for a big sports event in Canada began in the late 1920s. The first event, called the British Empire Games, happened in Canada in 1930. Over time, the event changed names to reflect the changing world, becoming the British Empire and Commonwealth Games, then the British Commonwealth Games, and finally the Commonwealth Games.

Only six countries have been part of every Commonwealth Games: Australia, Canada, England, New Zealand, Scotland, and Wales. Australia has often been the top team, followed by England and Canada.

Editions

British Empire Games (1930-1950)

The first Commonwealth Games were held in Hamilton, Canada, in 1930. Eleven countries sent athletes to compete in sports like running, boxing, swimming, and wrestling. The games have grown over the years, with more countries joining each time.

British Empire and Commonwealth Games (1954-1966)

In 1954, the games were held in Vancouver, Canada. This marked the first time the name changed. The games continued to grow, with more countries and athletes taking part.

British Commonwealth Games (1970-1974)

In 1970, the games were held in Edinburgh, Scotland, under a new name. The games kept expanding, with more sports and countries joining.

Commonwealth Games (1978-present)

The modern name, Commonwealth Games, was first used in 1978 in Edmonton, Canada. The games have continued to grow, with more countries and athletes participating. They have also included new sports and focused on fairness and inclusion.

Inclusion of disabled athletes in Commonwealth Games

Athletes with disabilities were first included in the 1994 Commonwealth Games. By 2002, their events became a regular part of the games, making them fully inclusive. This means their results count toward the medals, and they are full members of their country’s teams.

Commonwealth Games Federation

The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) is the group that manages the Commonwealth Games and the Commonwealth Youth Games. It is the main authority for everything about these games. The CGF’s office is located in the Commonwealth House in London, England. This same building also houses the Royal Commonwealth Society and the Commonwealth Local Government Forum.

The Commonwealth Games Movement has three main parts:

• International Federations (IFs) are groups that oversee a sport around the world. For example, the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) manages basketball globally.
• Commonwealth Games Associations (CGAs) are the groups that represent the games in each country. They work like the National Olympic Committees. For example, the Commonwealth Games England (CGE) is England’s CGA. There are 72 CGAs recognised by the CGF.
• Organising Committees for the Commonwealth Games (OCCWGs) are special groups formed just to put on each games event. Once the games are over and the final report is sent to the CGF, these committees end.

English is the official language of the Commonwealth. At each games event, announcements are also made in the language of the host country, or in more than one language if needed. The host country decides which languages to use and in what order.

King's Baton Relay

Main article: King's Baton Relay

The King's Baton Relay is a special event that happens before the Commonwealth Games. It involves a baton that travels around the world carrying a message from the Head of the Commonwealth. The relay usually starts at Buckingham Palace in London during Commonwealth Day celebrations. The King gives the baton to the first runner. At the start of the Games, the last runner gives the baton back to the King or someone representing him, and he reads the message to officially begin the Games. This relay is similar to the Olympic Torch Relay.

The relay began at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Cardiff, Wales, and was called the Queen's Baton Relay. For many years, it only went through England and the country hosting the Games. But for the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, it started visiting other Commonwealth nations for the first time.

The Queen's Baton Relay for the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, Australia, was the longest ever. It traveled 230,000 kilometers over 388 days through all six Commonwealth regions: Africa, the Americas, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia, and Oceania. For the first time, the baton was also shown at the Commonwealth Youth Games in 2017, which took place in Nassau, Bahamas.

Ceremonies

The opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games usually begins with raising the host country's flag and playing its national anthem. Flags of the Commonwealth Games Federation, the last host nation, and the next host nation are also shown. The host country then shows artistic performances like music, singing, dance, and theatre that represent its culture. These performances have become more elaborate over time as each host tries to create a memorable ceremony.

After the performances, athletes from each country march into the stadium. The last host nation usually enters first, followed by others in alphabetical or continental order, with the host nation's athletes entering last. Speeches are given to officially open the Games. Finally, the King's Baton is brought into the stadium and passed to the Head of the Commonwealth or their representative by the final baton carrier, often a famous athlete from the host country.

The closing ceremony happens after all the sports events are finished. Flag-bearers from each country enter the stadium, followed by all the athletes together. The president of the organizing committee and the CGF president give closing speeches, and the Games are officially closed. The CGF president speaks about how the Games were conducted. The mayor of the host city gives the CGF flag to the CGF president, who then passes it to the mayor of the next host city. The next host country also shows brief artistic performances. The CGF President gives an award called the 'David Dixon Award' to an athlete who showed excellent sportsmanship and performance, nominated by their Commonwealth Games Association and chosen by a panel including the CGF President.

After each event, a medal ceremony is held. The first, second, and third-place winners stand on a podium while their medals are awarded. The national flags of the three medal winners are raised, and the national anthem of the gold medallist's country plays. Volunteers from the host country help during these ceremonies.

"God Save the King" is an official anthem in many Commonwealth countries, but it cannot be used during official events, medal ceremonies, or before team matches because countries of the United Kingdom compete individually. Before the 2010 Games, some national anthems were changed because of this rule.

List of Commonwealth Games

Medal table

Main article: All-time Commonwealth Games medal table

*Note : Nations in italics no longer participate at the Commonwealth Games.

Updated after 2022 Commonwealth Games.

• ^[a] Totals for Ghana include all medals won as  Gold Coast
• ^[b] Totals for Zimbabwe include all medals won as  Southern Rhodesia
• ^[c] Totals for Zambia include all medals won as  Northern Rhodesia
• ^[d] Totals for Sri Lanka include all medals won as  Ceylon
• ^[e] Totals for Guyana include all medals won as  British Guiana

Medal leaders by year

Commonwealth sports

The Commonwealth Games have a flexible sports program that depends on what the host city can support. The dates of the Games can also change based on the weather of the host city. Because of this, the sports included can be different each time the Games are held. From 1930 to 1994, only individual sports were included. In 1998, team sports were allowed for the first time.

Each version of the Games usually includes seven to ten main sports that must be approved four years before the event. The number of sports can range from 10 to 17, but sometimes more are added based on local needs. For example, freestyle wrestling was added in Delhi in 2010 and beach volleyball in Gold Coast in 2018. The current rules aim to have an equal number of events for men and women, though this was not followed for the 2026 Games in Glasgow, which will feature only 10 sports—the fewest since 1994. There are 23 sports in total, including three multi-disciplinary sports, and ten para-sports approved by the Commonwealth Games Federation.

In 2015, the Commonwealth Games Federation made big changes to the sports program, adding more main sports and removing some optional ones.

Some sports are still being considered for future Games but need more development in areas like participation, marketability, television rights, fairness, and cost before they can be included.

Participating nations

Main article: List of participating nations at the Commonwealth Games

Only six teams have been part of every Commonwealth Games: Australia, Canada, England, New Zealand, Scotland, and Wales. Australia has been the top team thirteen times, England seven times, and Canada once.

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Commonwealth nations yet to send teams

Very few Commonwealth nations and areas have joined in yet:

• Gabon and Togo, who joined the Commonwealth in 2022, became part of the Commonwealth Games Federation in 2023 and will likely first compete in 2026.
• Tokelau, an area of New Zealand, planned to join in 2010 but could not until it connects with more international sports groups.
• Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, areas of Australia like Norfolk Island, have not sent their own teams.
• The Pitcairn Islands, a small area with only about 50 people, does not take part.

Other places within the Commonwealth, such as Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha (part of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha), Nevis (in the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis), Rodrigues (an island of Mauritius), and Zanzibar (part of Tanzania), are not separate teams by the Commonwealth rules.

Rejected participants

People from the English county of Cornwall asked to compete separately in 2006, but were told Cornwall is part of England and should join the England team. A local group called Mebyon Kernow also tried again for 2022, but were not successful.

The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus wanted to join in 2006 but was not allowed because not enough countries recognize it.

Controversies

Host city contract

The 1934 British Empire Games, planned to be in Johannesburg, moved to London because the government at that time in South Africa would not allow people of all races to participate.

The 2022 Commonwealth Games were first meant to be in Durban but were moved after leaders there said they could not afford the costs. After looking for a new host, Birmingham, England was chosen.

A group of cities in the Victoria State in Australia were chosen to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games, but later decided they could not afford it either. After this, the Scottish Government agreed to host the games in Glasgow.

Boycotts

Like the Olympic Games, some nations chose not to participate in the Commonwealth Games for different reasons.

Uganda did not take part in the 1978 Commonwealth Games because they were unhappy with New Zealand having contacts with South Africa at that time.

In the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, many countries chose not to join. This was because the government at that time in Britain still had sporting links with South Africa, which many felt was wrong. Because of this, the Games had far fewer athletes than usual.

Protests

The 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane happened when many people were speaking out for the rights of Australian Aboriginal people. The government at that time in Queensland made it hard for people to speak out or protest. Some people planned big protests during the games, which led to many arrests.

Similar protests happened during the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne and the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.

Financial implications

The 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi cost about US$11 billion, making it the most expensive Commonwealth Games ever. The budget started at US$250 million in 2003 but grew to US$1.8 billion by 2010.

Studies show that hosting the Commonwealth Games can help local economies. For example, each dollar spent on the Games often brings in two dollars for the host city. The Games also create many jobs and improve local infrastructure. The 2018 Commonwealth Games helped bring about $2.5 billion in economic benefits and continues to help the Gold Coast earn money each year.

Notable competitors

Lawn bowler Willie Wood from Scotland was the first competitor to have taken part in seven Commonwealth Games, from 1974 to 2002. This record was matched in 2014 by Isle of Man cyclist Andrew Roche. Both were later surpassed by David Calvert of Northern Ireland, who in 2018 attended his 11th games.

Sitiveni Rabuka was a Prime Minister of Fiji. Before that, he competed for Fiji in shot put, hammer throw, discus, and the decathlon at the 1974 British Commonwealth Games held in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Greg Yelavich, a sports shooter from New Zealand, has won 12 medals over seven games from 1986 to 2010.

Lawn bowler Robert Weale has represented Wales in 8 Commonwealth Games, from 1986 to 2014, winning 2 gold, 3 silver, and 1 bronze medal.

Nauruan weightlifter Marcus Stephen won twelve medals at the Games between 1990 and 2002, of which seven were gold. He was elected President of Nauru in 2007. His performance helped place Nauru (the smallest independent state in the Commonwealth, at 21 km² (8.1 sq mi) and with a population of fewer than 9,400 in 2011) in twenty-second place on the all-time Commonwealth Games medal table.

Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe has won 10 Commonwealth Games gold medals and 1 silver medal. At the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, he won 4 gold medals. At the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, he won 6 gold medals and 1 silver medal.

Chad le Clos, South Africa's most decorated swimmer, has won 18 medals from four Commonwealth Games (2010, 2014, 2018 & 2022), seven of which are gold. At the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, he won two gold medals, one silver medal, and four bronze medals. At the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, he won three golds, a silver, and a bronze.

English actor Jason Statham took part as a diver in the 1990 Commonwealth Games.

At the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, Australian singer Cody Simpson won a gold medal as a swimmer at the men's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay and a silver at the men's 4 × 100 metre medley relay.

Media coverage

The BBC was the main broadcaster for the Commonwealth Games from 1954 to 2022, except for the first four games in 1930, 1934, 1938, and 1950. On 19 December 2025, it was announced that the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow will be shown live on TNT Sports for the first time. This will be on paywall television instead of free-to-air television.