History of the Commonwealth Games

Home , 1978 Commonwealth Games, 1982 Commonwealth Games, 1986 Commonwealth Games, 1990 Commonwealth Games, 1994 Commonwealth Games, 2002 Commonwealth Games

GAMES HISTORY

INTRODUCTION

In past centuries, the British Empire’s power and influence stretched all over the world. It started at the time of Elizabeth 1 when Sir Francis Drake and other explorers started to challenge the Portuguese and Spanish domination of the world.

The modern Commonwealth was formed in 1949, with ‘British’ dropped from the name and with Logo of the Commonwealth many countries becoming independent, but Games Federation choosing to remain part of the group of nations called the Commonwealth.

The first recorded Games between British Empire athletes were part of the celebrations for the Coronation of His Majesty King George V in 1911. The Games were called the 'Festival of Empire' and included Athletics, Boxing, Wrestling and Swimming events.

At the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam, the friendliness between the Empire athletes revived the idea of the Festival of Empire. Canadian, Bobby Robinson, called a meeting of British Empire sports representatives, who agreed to his proposal to hold the first Games in 1930 in Hamilton, Canada.

From 1930 to 1950 the Games were called the British Empire Games, and until 1962 were called the British Empire and Commonwealth Games. From 1966 to 1974 they became the British Commonwealth Games and from 1978 onwards they have been known as the Commonwealth Games.

HISTORY OF THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES

1930 British Empire Games Hamilton, Canada 16-23 August

The first official Commonwealth Games, held in Hamilton, Canada in 1930 were called the British Empire Games.

Competing Countries (11) Australia, Bermuda, British Guiana (now Guyana), Canada, England, Newfoundland (now part of Canada), New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Scotland, South Africa and Wales.

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GAMES HISTORY

Competitors Officials 400 50

Sports There were six sports: Athletics, Boxing, Lawn Bowls, Rowing, Swimming and Diving.

Did you know? The first Games were very basic. The athletes’ village was at a nearby school, where twenty-four competitors slept in each classroom. The competitors rated the Games very highly.

Women competed in only the Swimming events.

Since 1930, the Games have been conducted every four years, except for 1942 and 1946, due to World War II

1934 British Empire Games London, England 4-11 August

The 1934 Games were first awarded to Johannesburg, South Africa, but were changed to London to prevent a possible political crisis concerning the way South Africa might treat black and Asian Commonwealth athletes.

Competing Countries (16) Australia, Bermuda, British Guiana (now Guyana), Canada, England, Newfoundland (now part of Canada), New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Scotland, South Africa, Wales, Hong Kong, India, Jamaica, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and Trinidad.

The eleven countries which had competed at the 1930 Hamilton Games also competed at London. In addition, new countries which competed were Hong Kong, India, Jamaica, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and Trinidad.

Competitors Officials

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Sports There were six sports: Athletics, Boxing, Cycling, Lawn Bowls, Swimming and Diving, and Wrestling.

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GAMES HISTORY

Did you know? Women were included in Athletics for the first time, although the running events were restricted to the short sprints and a shortened 4 x 220 -yard relay.

Phil Edwards from British Guiana became the first black gold medallist at the Commonwealth Games when he won the 880 -yard run.

Canadian Harold Webster won the marathon. He listed his age as thirty-two, but his friends and team officials believed that he was close to fifty at the time!

1938 British Empire Games Sydney, Australia 5 - 12 February

The opening ceremony for the 1938 Games took place at the Sydney Cricket Ground in front of 40 000 spectators who were keen to see Australia and New Zealand excel, particularly against England.

Competing Countries (15) Australia, Bermuda, British Guiana (now Guyana), Canada, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), England, Fiji, India, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), Scotland, South Africa, Trinidad and Wales.

It was the first Games for Fiji and Ceylon.

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Sports There were seven sports: Athletics, Boxing, Cycling, Lawn Bowls, Rowing, Swimming and Diving, and Wrestling.

Did you know? The British competitors were away from home for four months. They spent three of the four months on board ships. Every time the ship stopped at a port they would rush off to find a suitable location to prepare and train for their sport.

The Sydney Games were part of Australia's 150th anniversary celebrations.

Decima Norman, nicknamed ‘Dashing Dess’, from Albany in Western Australia, won five gold medals. She won the 100-yard dash (in 11.1 seconds), the 220- yard dash, the long jump and two relay races.

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GAMES HISTORY

1950 British Empire Games Auckland, New Zealand 4-11 February

The opening ceremony at Eden Park was attended by 40 000 spectators, whilst nearly 250 000 people overall attended the Games as spectators.

This was a huge audience for such a small country which was so far away from most other Commonwealth nations.

Competing Countries (12) Australia, Canada, Ceylon, England, Fiji, Malaysia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), Scotland, South Africa and Wales.

Malaysia and Nigeria were at their first Games.

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Sports There were nine sports: Athletics, Boxing, Cycling, Fencing, Lawn Bowls, Rowing, Swimming and Diving, Weightlifting and Wrestling.

Did you know? Marjory Jackson, the ‘Blue Streak’ from Melbourne, won the two women's sprints in world-record times, as well as two relay gold medals. She also won the two sprints at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics and the 1954 Vancouver Games.

Jack Holden, a forty-three-year -old Englishman, pointed to his backside before the start of the marathon and told the other competitors to take a good look, as that would be all they would see of him!

Racing in No. 13, he won easily, despite having to run through fifteen centimetres of water after a heavy rainstorm. He was almost tripped by a dog which nipped at his ankles as he tried to shoo it away.

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GAMES HISTORY

1954 British Empire & Commonwealth Games Vancouver, Canada 30 July – 7 August

The V Commonwealth Games made Vancouver famous , and featured memorable sporting moments , as well as outstanding entertainment, technical innovation and cultural events.

Competing Countries (24) Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, British Guiana (now Guyana), Canada, England, Fiji, Gold Coast (now Ghana), Hong Kong, India, Jamaica, Kenya, New Zealand, Nigeria, Northern Ireland, Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) and Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda and, Wales.

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Sports There were nine sports: Athletics, Boxing, Cycling, Fencing, Lawn Bowls, Rowing, Swimming and Diving, Weightlifting and Wrestling.

Did you know? New Zealander Yvette Williams won gold in the discus, shot put and long jump.

Emmanuel Ifeajuna, a Nigerian medical student, was the first black African to win a gold medal when he won the high jump.

The final of the mile was the first international sports event to be televised live in North America. The race was called ‘The Miracle Mile’ and featured Englishman Roger Bannister and Australian John Landy. They had become the first two men to run the mile in less than four minutes only a few months earlier.

This was the first time they had competed against each other since their record - breaking races. Bannister won narrowly in an exciting race and both men again broke the four -minute time.

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GAMES HISTORY

1958 British Empire & Commonwealth Games Cardiff, Wales 18-26 July

The VI Games marked the largest sporting event ever held in Wales, which was the smallest country ever to host a British Empire and Commonwealth Games.

Cardiff had to wait twelve years longer than originally scheduled to become host of the Games, as the 1946 event was cancelled because of World War II.

Competing countries (35) Australia, Bahamas, Bermuda, British Guiana (now Guyana), Canada, Ceylon, Dominica, England, Fiji, Ghana, Gibraltar, Hong Kong, India, Isle of Man, Jamaica, Jersey, Kenya, Malaysia, Mauritius, New Zealand, Nigeria, Northern Ireland, Pakistan, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe ), Sarawak (now Malaysia), Scotland, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, St Vincent, Trinidad, Uganda and Wales.

Twenty-three countries and dependencies won medals, including, for the first time, Singapore, Ghana, Kenya and the Isle of Man.

Competitors Officials

1130 228

Sports There were nine sports: Athletics, Boxing, Cycling, Fencing, Lawn Bowls, Rowing, Swimming and Diving, Weightlifting and Wrestling.

Did you know? South African Gert Potgier won the 440 -yards hurdles in world -record time just twelve months after being paralysed by breaking his neck in a rugby match.

Dick McTaggart of Scotland won gold in the lightweight division Boxing. He was a professional rat and mouse killer for the City of Glasgow.

Dawn Fraser won two gold and two silver medals for Australia in Swimming.

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GAMES HISTORY

1962 British Empire & Commonwealth Games Perth, Australia 21 November – 1 December

The VII Commonwealth Games are remembered for their ‘heat, dust and glory’. The day before the Perth Games opened, the temperature was 27 degrees Celsius, but had risen to around 40 degrees at the Opening Ceremony the next day, and remained almost as hot for the rest of the Games.

Competing countries (33) Australia, Bahamas, Bermuda, British Guiana (now Guyana), British Honduras (now Belize), Canada, Ceylon, England, Fiji, Ghana, Gibraltar, Hong Kong, India, Isle of Man, Jamaica, Jersey, Kenya, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, New Zealand, North Borneo (now Malaysia), Northern Ireland, Pakistan, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), Sarawak (now Malaysia), Scotland, Singapore, St Lucia, Tanganyika (now Tanzania), Trinidad, Uganda and Wales.

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890 178

Sports There were nine sports: Athletics, Boxing, Cycling, Fencing, Lawn Bowls, Rowing, Swimming and Diving, Weightlifting and Wrestling.

Did you know? In the previous sixty-five years, there had only been ten days where the temperature had reached more than 38 degrees Celsius in Perth during November. Australian soldiers were used to transport water to competing athletes.

Around 300 spectators needed treatment for conditions such as heat exhaustion and heart attacks due to the heat at the Opening Ceremony.

Dave Prowse, four times British Weightlifting champion, failed to make a successful lift out of eight attempts. He later became famous as the actor who played Darth Vader in Star Wars.

Pakistan won seven of the eight gold medals in Weightlifting.

Dawn Fraser won a further four gold medals in the Perth Games.

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GAMES HISTORY

At the Closing Ceremony, Welsh boxer Rocky James leapt onto the stage to lead the 7 000 voice choir, the RAAF Band and spectators, in singing Waltzing Matilda.

1966 British Commonwealth Games Kingston, Jamaica 4-13 August

With the British Empire formally ended, the Kingston Games became the VIII British Commonwealth Games.

The event program was altered for the first time since 1950, with Badminton and Shooting replacing Lawn Bowls and Rowing.

Competing countries (32) Antigua, Australia, Bahamas, Bermuda, British Guiana (now Guyana), British Honduras (now Belize), Canada, Ceylon, England, Fiji, Ghana, Gibraltar, Hong Kong, India, Isle of Man, Jamaica, Jersey, Kenya, Malaysia, Mauritius, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Pakistan, Papua and New Guinea, Scotland, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Africa, St Vincent, Tanzania, Trinidad and Wales.

Competitors Officials

1050 266

Sports There were nine sports: Athletics, Badminton, Boxing, Cycling, Fencing, Shooting, Swimming and Diving, Weightlifting and Wrestling.

Did you know? Thirteen world records were set at the outdoor swimming pool. Australians set ten of these.

Ten-year-old Betsy Sullivan represented Jamaica in Diving. She is probably the youngest Games competitor ever.

John Carter, from Sierra Leone, was forced to withdraw from the Boxing. He had very long thumbs and the Games officials could not find gloves to fit him.

Only seventeen of forty-three riders completed the 120 -mile (about 192 km) Bicycle Road Race. They faced many hazards along the way , including heavy rainstorms, pot holes, dogs, chickens, goats and pigs, as they rode along the narrow, hilly, bumpy streets.

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GAMES HISTORY

1970 British Commonwealth Games Edinburgh, Scotland 16-25 July

The IX Games will be remembered for a number of firsts. It was the first time that metric distances and electronic photo finish technology were used at the Games. It was also the first time that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II attended in her role as Head of the Commonwealth.

Competing countries (42) Antigua, Australia, Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada, Ceylon, Dominica, England, Fiji, The Gambia, Ghana, Gibraltar, Grenada, Guernsey, Guyana, Hong Kong, India, Isle of Man, Jamaica, Jersey, Kenya, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, New Zealand, Nigeria, Northern Ireland, Pakistan, Papua and New Guinea, Scotland, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Africa, St Lucia, St Vincent, Swaziland, Tanzania, Trinidad, Uganda, Wales and Zambia.

New medal winning nations included Tanzania, Malawi and St Vincent.

Competitors Officials

1383 362

Sports There were ten sports: Athletics, Badminton, Boxing, Cycling, Fencing, Lawn Bowls, Shooting, Swimming and Diving, Weightlifting and Wrestling .

Did you know? Sylvia Potts from New Zealand was leading the 1 500 metres run until she collapsed two metres from the finishing line. She finished ninth.

Ved Prakash, a fourteen-year-old boy from Pakistan, needed permission from his mother and the International Wrestling Federation to compete. He won the gold medal in the light-flyweight division.

New Zealander Harry Kent provided the highlight of the Closing Ceremony. Harry, dressed in a kilt, rode a tiny tricycle as the other athletes marched.

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GAMES HISTORY

1974 British Commonwealth Games Christchurch, New Zealand 24 January – 2 February

The X Games was the first multisport event to make the safety of participants and spectators the most important factor, a result of the massacre of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics.

Security guards surrounded the athletes’ village and there was a large police presence around Christchurch.

Despite these concerns, the Games were highly successful and enjoyabl e.

Competing countries (42) Australia, Barbados, Bermuda, Botswana, Canada, Cook Islands, England, Fiji, The Gambia, Ghana, Gibraltar, Grenada, Guernsey, Guyana, Hong Kong, India, Isle of Man, Jamaica, Jersey, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, New Zealand, Nigeria, Northern Ireland, Pakistan, Papua and New Guinea, Scotland, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Sri Lanka, St Vincent, Swaziland, Tanzania, Trinidad, Uganda, Wales, Western Samoa and Zambia.

Only twenty-two countries shared the total of 374 medals, and first time winners included Western Samoa, Lesotho, Swaziland, St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Competitors Officials

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Sports There were nine sports: Athletics, Badminton, Boxing, Cycling, Lawn Bowls, Shooting, Swimming and Diving, Weightlifting and Wrestling.

Did you know? A fifteen-year-old Kenyan marathon runner was nicknamed the ‘Petticoat Princess’ by the press. She ran with bare feet wearing a petticoat.

Yvonne Gowland, an Adelaide housewife, made history in the Small Bore Rifle competition. She was the only female competitor in the Shooting, and won the gold medal when she scored 594 out of 600 points. She set a Games record whilst beating twenty-four male competitors.

David Bedford, the world record holder in the 10 000 metres run, finished fourth. After the race he complained that he had been knocked off the track, held from behind, and spiked by other competitors.

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GAMES HISTORY

1978 Commonwealth Games Edmonton, Canada 3-12 August

The XI Games was the first to use the current day title of the Commonwealth Games.

Competing countries (46) Antigua, Australia, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Canada, Cayman Islands, Cook Islands, Cyprus, England, Fiji, The Gambia, Ghana, Gibraltar, Grenada, Guernsey, Guyana, Hong Kong, India, Isle of Man, Jamaica,

Jersey, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Mauritius, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Papua New Guinea, Scotland, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Sri Lanka, St Kitts, St Lucia, St Vincent, Swaziland, Tanzania, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos, Wales, West ern Samoa and Zambia.

Competitors Officials

1 405 504

Canada sent the largest team with 204 competitors. The smallest team was sent by the Cook Islands, with one competitor and two officials.

Sports There were ten sports: Athletics, Badminton, Boxing, Cycling, Gymnastics, Lawn Bowls, Shooting, Swimming and Diving, Weightlifting and Wrestling.

Did you know? Rod Dixon, from New Zealand, was thought to be a major challenger to champion Kenyan runner Henry Rono in the 5 000 metre run. Shortly before the race, Dixon discovered his sports bag and his special track shoes had been stolen. The race was delayed for fifteen minutes. Dixon ran the race in borrowed shoes , but only finished seventh.

Filbert Bayi of Tanzania was a world-record holder in the mile and 1 500m runs. He had come a long way since his birth at the side of the road. In his home village, he was nicknamed ‘Hyena’ after he and his mother were followed by some hyenas soon after he was born.

Fifteen-year-old English swimmer Sharron Davies won two gold medals at these Games, but lost her amateur status afterwards. Sharron went on to be a commentator at Olympic and Commonwealth Games.

After commentating at the Seoul Olympics she decided to return to competitive Swimming. Twelve years after her Edmonton success, she joined the English team for the Auckland Games.

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GAMES HISTORY

The mascot The 1978 Commonwealth Games mascot was Keyano. The mascot represented the Swan Hills Grizzly Bear, native to Alberta and found only in the Swan Hills, a heavily forested mountain region of North Alberta.

It is one of North America's largest bears and at maturity can weigh more than 400 kg. Its fur is a medium brown colour and is long and shaggy.

The Edmonton mascot - Keyano ‘Keyano’ is a Cree Indian word meaning unity and brotherhood, and which appropriately describes the Friendly Games.

1982 Commonwealth Games Brisbane, Australia 30 September – 9 October

The Brisbane Games are still remembered as one of the very best. Everything went well from the moment Matilda, a thirteen-metre mechanical kangaroo, helped out with the Opening Ceremony.

Competing countries (46) Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Botswana, Canada, Cayman Islands, Cook Islands, Cyprus, England, Falkland Islands, Fiji, The Gambia, Ghana, Gibraltar, Grenada, Guernsey, Guyana, Hong Kong, India, Isle of Man, Jamaica, Jersey, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Mauritius, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Papua New Guinea, Scotland, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Uganda, Vanuatu, Wales, Western Samoa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Did you know? Melbourne 's Jenny Donnet won the gold medal in the springboard Diving. Her mother and coach, Barbara, had won gold twenty-eight years earlier in the tower Diving. Her aunt, Irene, had also won a gold medal in springboard Diving at the 1938 Sydney Games.

New Zealand archer Neroli Fairhall won gold. This was the first time Archery had been included in the Games. Neroli was a paraplegic and had been in a wheelchair for thirteen years. Her last three shots were bullseyes.

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GAMES HISTORY

The mascot The 1982 Commonwealth Games mascot was a kangaroo named Matilda, which proved to be one of the most successful parts of the marketing program for the Games. It was simple, but uniquely Australian. Matilda was popular all around the world.

The Brisbane mascot - Matilda

1986 Commonwealth Games Edinburgh, Scotland 24 July – 2 August 1986

The XIII Games, the second to be staged at Edinburgh, became known as the ‘Boycott Games’. Thirty-two Commonwealth nations decided not to attend because of their opposition to apartheid in sports.

Competing countries (26) Australia, Botswana, Canada, Cayman Islands, Cook Islands, England, Falkland Islands, Fiji, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Hong Kong, Isle of Man, Jersey, Lesotho, Malawi, Maldives, Malta, New Zealand, Norfolk Island, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Singapore, Swaziland, Vanuatu, Wales and Western Samoa.

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1 662 461

Sports There were ten sports: Athletics, Aquatics, Badminton, Boxing, Cycling, Lawn Bowls, Rowing, Shooting, Weightlifting and Wrestling.

Did you know? Canadian Ben Johnson won the 100 metres sprint in 10.07 seconds. Two years later, at Seoul, his Olympic gold medal was taken away from him after he was found to have used performance enhancing drugs.

New Zealander Greg Yelavich won two gold medals in Shooting. He had been working on a property in outback Western Australia and had nothing to do in his spare time. There was a gun club nearby so he took up Shooting, often firing over 500 shots a day for practice.

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GAMES HISTORY

One of the Welsh rowers in the men's eights final dropped his oar in the water. He jumped overboard so that his team mates would not have to push his weight when he could no longer row.

The mascot The 1986 Commonwealth Games mascot was a black ‘Scottie’ dog called Mac.

The Edinburgh mascot - Mac

1990 Commonwealth Games Auckland, New Zealand 24 January – 3 February

The XIV Commonwealth Games, the third to be hosted by New Zealand, and Auckland’s second, featured a fantastic Opening Ceremony. It depicted the history of the formation of New Zealand society and culture in a spectacular, exciting way.

Competing countries (54) A new record of fifty-four nations participated in the second Auckland Games. They were : Australia, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Bermuda, Botswana, Brunei, Canada, Cayman Islands, Cook Islands, Cyprus, England, Falkland Islands, The Gambia, Ghana, Gibraltar, Grenada, Guernsey, Guyana, Hong Kong, India, Isle of Man, Jamaica, Jersey, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Maldives, Malta, Malaysia, Mauritius, Nauru, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Scotland, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, St Kitts & Nevis, Swaziland, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Uganda, Vanuatu, Wales, Western Samoa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Twenty-nine of the competing nations succeeded in winning the 639 medals.

Competitors Officials

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Sports There were ten sports: Athletics, Aquatics, Badminton, Boxing, Cycling, Gymnastics, Judo, Lawn Bowls, Shooting and Weightlifting.

GAMES HISTORY

Did you know? The Swaziland team were waiting at the airport to leave for the Games when they were told that there was not enough money for them to compete. Eventually some funds were found and twenty-three of the fifty-six athletes were able to compete.

Prince Haji Sufri Balkiah of Brunei competed in the Shooting as well as being the team manager. He was the brother of the Sultan of Brunei, at the time the richest man in the world.

The Prince came with his wife, young daughter and bodyguard and stayed at the best hotel in Auckland, although it is said that he would have preferred to be with the other competitors at the Games Village.

Then unknown, sixteen -year -old Australian swimmer Kieren Perkins began his great international career when he finished second to team mate Glen Housman in the 1 500 metres swim. They were the second and third swimmers to swim the event in under 15 minutes.

The mascot The 1990 Commonwealth Games mascot, a Kiwi bird named Goldie, was a major success. The Kiwi bird had been the mascot for both the Olympic and Commonwealth Games teams. Goldie was more popular than previous mascots after having been drawn as a performer in each of the Games sports.

The Auckland Games mascot - Goldie

1994 Commonwealth Games Victoria, Canada 18-28 August

Canada hosted the Games for the fifth time. The end of apartheid in the early nineties allowed South Africa to return to the Commonwealth Games, and meant that the boycotts were over.

Competing Countries (63) Antigua, Australia, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Botswana, Brunei, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Cayman Islands, Cook Islands, Cyprus, Dominica, England, Falkland Islands, Fiji, The Gambia, Ghana, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Guyana, Hong Kong, India, Isle of Man, Jamaica, Jersey, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Montserrat, Namibia,

GAMES HISTORY

Nauru, New Zealand, Nigeria, Northern Ireland, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Scotland, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Sri Lanka, St Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent, Swaziland, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Uganda, Vanuatu, Wales, Western Samoa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Competitors Officials

2 557 914

Sports There were ten sports: Athletics, Aquatics, Badminton, Boxing, Cycling, Gymnastics, Lawn Bowls, Shooting, Weightlifting and Wrestling.

Did you know? Cathy Freeman was the first Aboriginal sprinter to win a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games.

The mascot The Victoria Games mascot was Klee Wych. The mascot symbolised fun, festivities and the host city's popular culture. ‘Klee Wych’, the Killer Whale, was symbolic of the intelligent, sociable and graceful animals native to Canadian waters, and especially associated with the beauty and vitality of British Columbia.

The name Klee Wych is broadly translated as ‘the laughing one’ in Nuu-chah Nulth people’s language.

The Victoria Games mascot - Klee Wych

1998 Commonwealth Games Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 11-21 September

For the first time in its sixty-eight-year history, the Commonwealth Games were held in Asia. The XVI Games was also the first Games to feature team sports – an outstanding success that attracted additional competitors and a larger TV audience.

Competing countries (70) Anguilla, Antigua, Australia, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Botswana, Brunei, British Virgin Islands, Cameroon, Canada, Cayman Islands, Cook Islands, Cyprus, Dominica, England, Falkland Islands, Fiji, The Gambia, Ghana, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Guyana, Hong Kong, India, Isle of Man, Jamaica,

GAMES HISTORY

Jersey, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Montserrat, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, New Zealand, Nigeria, Northern Ireland, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Scotland, Seychelles, Singapore, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Sri Lanka, St Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent, Swaziland, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Uganda, Vanuatu, Wales, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

A new record of seventy countries sent a total of 5 036 athletes and officials to the Kuala Lumpur Games. The top five countries in the medal standing were Australia, England, Canada, Malaysia and South Africa. Nauru also achieved an impressive haul of three gold medals.

Competitors Officials

3 638 1 398

Sports There were fifteen sports: Aquatics, Athletics, Badminton, Boxing, Cricket, Cycling, Gymnastics, Hockey, Netball, Lawn Bowls, Rugby Sevens, Shooting, Tenpin Bowling, Weightlifting and Wrestling.

Did you know? The Australians set a world record in the 4 x 200 metre freestyle relay. The team consisted of Ian Thorpe, Michael Klim, Matthew Dunn and Daniel Kowalski.

A toy remote controlled car, with a special roof rack, was used to collect the discus from the field and return it to the competitors.

Cricket was included in the Games for the first time. South Africa defeated Australia by four wickets.

Tenpin Bowling was also included with host nation Malaysia winning two gold medals, one silver and one bronze medal in the five events.

The mascot The Kuala Lumpur mascot was Wira, the Orang Utan. ‘Wira’ means warrior in Habasa Malaysia. The Orang Utan is one of the world's largest primates, second only to the Gorilla in size. They are found on the island of Borneo in the Malaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah.

The Orang Utan's natural habitat is in the treetops in lowland rainforest areas. It is the only known

The Kuala Lumpur mascot primate that makes and sleeps in its own bed of - Wira twigs and small branches. Orang Utans have amazing stre ngth, but are gentle, shy creatures.

GAMES HISTORY

2002 Commonwealth Games Manchester, England 25 July-Aug 4

The Games returned to England for only the second time. The previous English hosts were London in 1934, even though Great Britain – England, Scotland and Wales – have between them hosted six of the seventeen Games.

The 2002 Manchester Games information was the first

Commonwealth Games and the first large multi-sport event to include EAD events in the main program.

Competing countries (72) Anguilla, Antigua, Australia, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Botswana, Brunei, British Virgin Islands, Cameroon, Canada, Cayman Islands, Cook Islands, Cyprus, Dominica, England, Falkland Islands, Fiji, The Gambia, Ghana, Gibraltar, Grenada, Guernsey, Guyana, India, Isle of Man, Jamaica, Jersey, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Montserrat, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, New Zealand, Nigeria, Nieu Island, Norfolk Island, Northern Ireland, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Scotland, Seychelles, Singapore, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Sri Lanka, St Helena, St Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent, Swaziland, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Wales, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Competitors Officials

3 690 1 784

Sports There were seventeen sports: Aquatics, Athletics, Badminton, Boxing, Cycling, Gymnastics, Hockey, Judo, Lawn Bowls, Netball, Rugby Sevens, Shooting, Squash, Table Tennis, Triathlon, Weightlifting and Wrestling.

Did you know? India was awarded the gold medal in Women's Hockey after officials allowed their disputed ‘golden goal’ in extra time. The English team's first appeal against the result was not upheld and they withdrew a second protest. The match ended with the English team believing that India's golden goal was not allowed by the referees.

Officials considered England's appeal against the goal, whilst their team remained on the pitch for more than half an hour, although India had already completed their lap of honour.

Nigerian runner Adekunle Adesoji smashed his own world record as he won gold in the 100 metres for blind competitors. Adejosi, who is blind in his right eye

GAMES HISTORY and partially sighted in his left, clocked 10.76 seconds to beat his own record. He was guided down the track by a local English athlete.

Australia 's Sarah Fitz-Gerald confirmed her place as the world's best in Women's Squash by winning gold. The thirty-three-year old world number one defeated former team mate Carol Owens, giving her an unbeaten run in tournaments of fifty-five matches. After the match Carol Owens said, ‘I felt like a headless chook in the first two games’.

Table Tennis and the Triathlon were included in the Games for the first time. Judo was on the program for only the second time.

The mascot The official mascot of the 2002 Commonwealth Games was Kit, a part cat, part lion design.

Kit symbolises the characteristics of Manchester's personality – youthful, vibrant, dynamic and friendly.

The Manchester Games mascot - Kit

2006 Commonwealth Games Melbourne, Australia 15 - 26 March

Melbourne will proudly host the XVIII Commonwealth Games in what will be a celebration of friendship and goodwill for all participants – on and off the track. Spectators and athletes from around Australia, and the world, will head to Melbourne for this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Sports Sixteen sports have been chosen for the Melbourne 2006 Games. They are Aquatics, Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Boxing, Cycling, Gymnastics, Hockey, Lawn Bowls, Netball, Rugby Sevens, Shooting, Squash, Table Tennis, Triathlon, and Weightlifting.

Did you know? The Organising Committee of the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games expects around 4 500 athletes and 1 500 officials from the seventy-one Commonwealth countries to be in Melbourne.

The Games Village is traditionally open for a total of twenty-five days, starting ten days before the Opening Ceremony. This gives athletes the necessary time to acclimatise and adjust to their surroundings before they compete. The Games Village

GAMES HISTORY closes three days after the Closing Ceremony to allow enough time for each team’s departure.

The Queen’s Baton will travel 16 936 kilometres from Buckingham Palace through the Commonwealth, before travelling around Australia on its journey to the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

The mascot The Melbourne Games mascot is Karak. Karak is a South-eastern Red-tailed Black Cockatoo found in Victoria and South Australia.

For more information about Karak, visit the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games site www.melbourne2006.com.au

The Melbourne Games mascot - Karak

2010 Commonwealth Games Delhi, India

The city of New Delhi, the capital of India and home to nearly fourteen million people, will host the Commonwealth Games in 2010.

This will be the first time India has hosted the Games and only the second time the event has been held in Asia.

Did you know? The XIX Commonwealth Games were awarded to New Delhi, India at the Commonwealth Games Federation General Assembly in November, 2003. New Delhi defeated Canada’s candidate city, Hamilton, Ontario, to win the right to host the 2010 Games.

The likely dates for the 2010 Commonwealth Games are from the 23 October to 3 November. This is autumn in Delhi with warm days, gentle breezes and very little rain.