10 Commonwealth Games Facts

With the Commonwealth Games coming just how many facts about the games do you know?

Many people may not know the fact about Commonwealth Games listed below.

FACT 1: DO YOU KNOW THAT SCOTLAND HAS HOSTED COMMONWEALTH GAMES

The next Commonwealth Games will be held in Glasgow from the 23^rd of July to the 3^rd of August. This is not the first time Scotland is lucky to hold this multi-sport event as it has been a host in the year 1970 and 1986, when Edinburgh held the 1986’s 9^th edition of the commonwealth Games and the same city hosted the 1986’s 13^th edition of the Commonwealth Games. For the third time since 1970, Glasgow will host the 20^th edition of the Commonwealth Games.

FACT 2: DO YOU KNOW THAT THE BRITISH EMPIRE NATIONS FIRST ATTEMPTED TO HAVE A COMMON SPORT IN 1911?

In 1911, a British Empire Inter colonies and territory championship was held in England. This can be said to have been the first Commonwealth Games as it was planned to have British Empire territories and colonies participate and compete for medals. This forerunner of the Today’s Commonwealth Games was held in London.

The games were to celebrate the Festival of the Empire during King George V coronation. These championships were held in the Crystal Place in London, England. These games had five participating nations; with the New Zealand and Australia having a combined team known as Australasia, United Kingdom also participated and so were Canada and South Africa.

The competing teams participated in five athletics events, two swimming events, one boxing event and one wrestling event.

FACT 3: COMMONWEALTH GAMES STARTED IN 1930.

Yep, the first Commonwealth Games were held in 1930, this is the same year that FIFA World Cup was first held in Uruguay. It’s like 1930 was great year for sports as 2 of the most important global sporting events were first held. This year would mark the beginning of multi-sport games that would forever be enjoyed by Former and present British Empire nations and territories.

The 1930 Commonwealth Games were held in Canada and the host City was Ontario, actually in the province of Hamilton. The games took only 8 days; from the 26^th of August to the 23^rd of August. In this first Commonwealth Games of 1930, competitors from 11 nations, all under British Rule competed in 6 of the following events athletics, boxing, lawn bowls, rowing, swimming, and wrestling. Opened by then the Governor of Canada Major Freeman Freeman-Thomas and the 1st Marquess of Willingdon, the games saw England lead on the medal table with 25 gold medals and a total of 60 Medals.

FACT 4: DO YOU KNOW THAT THE FIRST COMMONWEALTH GAMES VENEUE IS KNOWN AS IVOR WYNNE STADIUM

In the 1930 Commonwealth games, the main venue that even held the first ever Commonwealth Games opening ceremony is the today’s Ivor Wynne Stadium. Back then the stadium was known as Civic Stadium. This was the first stadium that was built to serve as Commonwealth Games venue and its construction started in 1928. It would remain known as

Until it was rebuilt between 1970 and 1971, it would be known as Civic Stadium and renamed in 1971 to honour of Ivor Wynne who had passed on in 1970.

Other venues for the 1930 Commonwealth Games were Jimmy Thompson Memorial Pool; the venue for the aquatics sports and the Prince of Wales School which was the accommodation venues for participants.

FACT 5: DO YOU KNOW THERE WERE NO COMMONWEALTH GAMES IN THE 1942 AND 1946?

Since the inception of the 1930 Commonwealth Games, two editions of the games would be held after every 4 years; 1934 and 1938, but with the Second World War that started in 1939, the games would not take place in 1942 and 1946. If the Commonwealth games had taken place in those two years then the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games would have been the 22^nd edition. Truly, war changes the course of history as it did with the Commonwealth Games.

FACT 6: DO YOU KNOW THAT COMMONWEALTH GAMES HAVE CHANGED NAMES FOUR TIMES?

When the Commonwealth Games started in 1930, they were known as British Empire Games. This name would be used to describe the games in the 1930, 1934, 1938 and the 1950 games. After the 1950 Commonwealth games held in New Zealand, Auckland, the next games for the 1954,held in Canada, Vancouver, a new name; British Empire and Commonwealth Games would be adopted. This new name would used in the next four edition of the Commonwealth Games. The 4 editions are the 1954, the 1958 Commonwealth Games held in Cardiff, Wales, the 1962 Commonwealth Games held in Perth Australia and lastly the name would be used in the 1966 Jamaica, Kingston Commonwealth Games. When four years later the games are held in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1970, a new name; British Commonwealth Games was adopted. This new name of the British Commonwealth Games only used in the next edition of the 1974 Christchurch, New Zealand and the current name was adopted in the 1978 Commonwealth Games held in Edmonton, Canada in 1978.

FACT 7: DO YOU KNOW THAT THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE COMMONWEALTH GAMES ARE HELD BETWEEN THE MONTHS OF JULY AND AUGUST, WHILE GAMES HELD IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE ARE HELD FROM NOVEMBER TO FEBRUARY

Commonwealth games are usually held in the months from July, August, September and October in the northern part of equator, while in the south of Equator; Southern Hemisphere, Commonwealth Games that have been held in the months of September, October, November, December, January, February and March. See the host table below.

FACT 8: DO YOU KNOW THAT COMMONWEALTH GAMES HAVE BEEN HELD IN NORTH AMERICA, CARIBBEANS, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND, EUROPE AND ASIA AND NEVER IN AFRICA?

The table below shows the host countries of the Commonwealth Games by continent

FACT 9: DO YOU KNOW THAT THE 2002 MANCHESTER COMMONWEALTH GAMES RECORDED THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF PARTICIPATING NATIONS, WHILE 2010 DELHI GAMES HAD THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF INDIVIDUAL COMPETITORS IN THE HISTORY OF THE GAMES?

The table below is good proof of the number of attendants in all 19th editions of the Commonwealth Games. The Manchester Commonwealth Games of the participating nations, though it had a lower number of individual participants. The Commonwealth Games that had the highest number of participants is the 2010 Commonwealth Games held in Delhi India which had 6700 individual competitors.

FACT 10: DO YOU KNOW AUSTRALIA HAS BEEN TOP PLACED TEAM 12 TIMES FOLLOWED BY ENGLAND 6 TIMES WHILE CANADA HAS BEEN TOP PLACED ONLY ONCE?

Australia has won the Commonwealth Games overall title for 12 times of the 19th editions of the games. The other nations that have won most medals are England which have won 6 times and Canada, which have won most medals only once in the 1978, Edmonton Commonwealth Games. Australia was the overall winner in all the Commonwealth Games held in Southern Hemisphere, see the host tables below. England became the overall winner with the highest number of medals in 6 Commonwealth Games editions out of the 13 editions held in Northern Hemisphere.