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.

List of Sports at the Commonwealth Games

The current regulations state that a minimum of ten and no more than 15 sports (recently reduced from 17) must be included in a Commonweath Games scedule. There is a list of core sports, which must be included and a further list of approved sports from which the host nation choses which to include. The host nation may also apply for the inclusion of other team sports to the CGF General Assembly, like the Melbourne organising committee did with Basketball for the 2006 Games.

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The current core sports consist of Athletics, Aquatics (swimming, diving and synchronised swimming), Lawn Bowls, Netball (for women) and Rugby 7s (for men). These will all remain core sports until at least the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

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The approved list of sports also includes archery, badminton, billiards and snooker, boxing, canoeing, cycling, fencing, gymnastics, judo, rowing, shooting, squash, table tennis, tennis, ten pin bowling, triathlon, weightlifting, wrestling and sailing. Some of these are often included in the programme, while others, like billiards and sailing, have never made it into a Games.

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There is also a requirement to include some events for Elite Athletes with a Disability (EAD). This was introduced in the 2002 Games.

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Below, the years in brackets show when the sports appeared at the games.

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2006 Commonwealth Games

• Aquatics (1930-)
• Swimming
• Synchronised Swimming
• Diving
• Water Polo
• Athletics (Men: 1930-, Women: 1934-)
• Badminton (1966-)
• Basketball (2006-)
• Boxing (1930-)
• Cycling (1934-)
• Gymnastics (1978, 1990-)
• Hockey (1998-)
• Lawn Bowls (1930-, but not 1966)
• Netball (1998-)
• Rugby Sevens (1998-)
• Shooting (1966, 1974-)
• Squash (1998-)
• Table Tennis (2002-)
• Triathlon (2002-)
• Weightlifting (1950-
• Events for Athletes with a Disability - EAD (2002-)
• Athletics
• Swimming
• Table Tennis
• Powerlifting

Other events

• Archery (1982)
• Cricket (1998)
• Fencing (1950-1970)
• Freestyle Wrestling (1930-2002, but neither 1990 nor 1998)
• Judo (1990, 2002)
• Rowing (1930, 1938-1962, 1986)
• Tenpin Bowling (1998)