Commonwealth Games

The Commonwealth Games is a multi-sport event held every four years involving the elite athletes of The Commonwealth. The first such event, then known as the British Empire Games, was held in 1930. The name changed to British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1954, to British Commonwealth Games in 1970 and assumed the current name of the Commonwealth Games in 1978.

Related Topics:
Multi-sport event - The Commonwealth - 1930 - 1954 - 1970 - 1978

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As well as many Olympic sports, the Games also include some sports that are played mainly in Commonwealth countries, such as lawn bowls and netball.

Related Topics:
Olympic - Sport - Lawn bowls - Netball

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Unlike other regional games of this type (i.e., Pan-American Games, Asian Games, All-Africa Games) which usually attract second-tier athletes, the Commonwealth Games attracts the top athletes of member nations of the Commonwealth, thus making this competition world-rate in the true sense of the word (second only to the Olympic Games). Attendance is typically around 5,000 athletes, which puts these games in third place behind the Olympics and the World Police & Fire Games.

Related Topics:
Pan-American Games - Asian Games - All-Africa Games - Olympic Games - World Police & Fire Games

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Despite this, the Commonwealth games have still not been free from criticism. Medal counts in the Commonwealth Games tend to be heavily slanted towards the largest, industralized nations such as Canada and Australia. It is thus been claimed that the Commonwealth Games are quite one-sided and serve as little more than an easy ego-stroking victory for these nations. Much like the Commonwealth itself, the games also face increasing questions of justifying their contemporary relevance in a changing world.

Related Topics:
Canada - Australia

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The constituent parts of the United Kingdom — England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland — send separate teams to the Commonwealth Games, and individual teams are also sent from crown dependencies such as the Isle of Man and Jersey.

Related Topics:
United Kingdom - England - Scotland - Wales - Northern Ireland - Crown dependencies - Isle of Man - Jersey

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Only six nations have attended every Commonwealth Games: Australia, Canada, England, New Zealand, Scotland and Wales.

Related Topics:
Australia - Canada - England - New Zealand - Scotland - Wales

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