Essays

The Commonwealth Games is a multinational, multi-sport event which features competitions involving thousands of elite athletes from members of the Commonwealth of Nations. The Games are organised every four years and are the third-largest multi-sport event in the world, after the summer Olympic Games and the Asian Games. Besides many Olympic ports, the Games also include some sports that are played mainly in commonwealth countries, such as lawn bowls, rugby sevens and netball.

A sporting competilion bringing together the members of the British Empire was first proposed by the Reverend Astley Cooper in 1891 when He wrote an article in The Times suggesting a "Pan-Britannic-Pan- Anglican Contest and Festival every four years as a means of increasing the goodwill and good understanding of the British Empire". Subsequently, the Festival of the empire was held in 1911 in London to celebrate the coronation of King George V. In the inter-empire championships held as a part of the festival, tems from Australia, canada, south Africa and the united kingdom competed in events such as boxing, wrestling, swimming and athletics.

In 1928, Melville Marks Robinson of Canada was asked to organise the first ever British Empire Games. These were held in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada two years later in which eleven nation took part. At The 1930 games, women competed in the swimming events only. From 1934, women also competed in some athletics events. The british Empire Games Association of Canada donated the Empire Games flag in 1931 On which the year and location of subsequent games weir added until The 1950 games. However, the flag was retired when the name of the   British Empire Games was changed to British Empire and commonwealth games in 1954.

The quadrennial schedule of the games was interrupted by World War II and the 1942 Games (which were to be held in montreal, Canada) were abandoned, only to be continued in 1950. After the name change in 1954, over 1000 athletes from thirty nations took part for the first time in the 1958 Games. For the 1970 and 1974 editions, the event was briefly known as the British Commonwealth Games. In 1978, the event assumed the current name of Commonwealth Games and was held in edmonton, Canada. The 1978 Games marked a new high as almost 1500 athletes from 46 countries took part. The 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia the sporting programme grow from 10 to 15 sports as team sports were allowed for the first time. Participation also reached new levels as over 3500 athletes represented 70 teams at the event. The host cities of the Games have mostly come from four countries: Australia and Canada on four occasions each. New Zealand on three and the united kingdom on five occasions. The city of Auckland has held the Games twice IN 1950 and 1990, while the city of Edinburgh has also hosted the Games in 1970 and 1986.

For the last 79 years, the Games have been organized every forth year. The number of Commonwealth of Nations has gradually increased over the years from just eleven nations initially to 54 members and 71 teams at the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games. The four home Nations of the United Kingdom—England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland—send separate teams to the Commonwealth games  (unlike at the Olympic Games, where the United Kingdom sends a single  team), and individual teams are also sent from the British Crown dependencies—Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man—and many of the  British overseas territories. The Australian external territory of Norfolk Island also sends its own team, as do the Cook Islands and Niue, two states in free association with New Zealand.

The Games are overseen by the Commonwealth Games Federal federation (CGF), which controls the sporting programme. The CGF also selects the host cities from across the Commonwealth, with eighteen cities in seven countries having hosted it. The CGF has approved a total of 31 sports, with two multi-disciplinary sports, and further seven para-sports These are categorised into three types—Core, Optional and Recognised Core sports must be included on each programme. The host nation may choose some of the optional sports, which may include some team sports. Such as basketball. Recognised sports are those which have been approved by the CGF hut are deemed to need expansion. Hence, hostnations may not pick these sports for their programme until the CGF’s requirements are fulfilled.

Athletics, Badminton, Boxing, Field hockey. Lawn bowls, Netball, Rugby sevens. Squash and Swimming are Core sports. Archery, Basketball, Cycling, Diving, Gymnastics, Judo, Shooting, Synchronised Swimming, Table tennis. Tennis and Triathlon are categorized as Optional sports. The sports which are Recognised by the CGF and may be held in future Commonwealth Games are Billiards, Canoeing". Fencing, Golf, Handball, Life saving. Rowing, Sailing, Softball, Teopin bowling, Volleyball and Water polo.

In the course of its history since 1978, the Commonwealth Games has suffered from political boycotts, largely associated with apartheid- era South Africa. The 1978 Games were boycotted by Nigeria in protest of New Zealand's sporting contacts with South Africa. The 1986  commonwealth Games were boycotted by 32 of 59 nations from Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean due to the Thatcher government's attitude towards South African sporting contacts. Boycotts were also threatened in 1974, 1982, and 1990 because of South Africa.

Among the notable competitors at the Games are Lawn bowler Willie Wood from Scotland and Shooter Greg Yelavich from New Zealand. While Willie Wood is the first competitor to have competed in seven Commonwealth Games, from 1974 to 2002, Greg Yelavich has won 11 medals in 6 games from 1986 to 2006. However, none of them will be seen in action at the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games.

During the opening and closing ceremonies from 1930 through 1950, the parade of nations was led by a single flagbearer carrying the Union Hag, symbolising Britain's leading role in the British Empire. Since 1958, there has been a relay of athletes carrying a baton from Buckingham Palace to the Opening Ceremony. This baton has within it the Queen's Message of Greeting to the athletes. The baton's final hearer is usually a famous sporting personage of the host nation. Except for the host nations of the previous and current Games, all other nations march in English alphabetical order in the Parade of Athletes. While the host nation of the previous Games marches first, the host nation of the current games marches last. In 2006 countries inarched in alphabetical order in geographical regions. National flags of the previous host nation, current host nation and next host nation fly from the stadium on the poles that are used for medal ceremonies. Moreover, to honour the British Military traditions of the Old Empire, the military is more active in the Opening Ceremony than in the Olympic Games.