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The Commonwealth Games is an international sporting event held every four years in which different teams from Commonwealth countries can participate. Apart from 1942 and 1946, during and immediately after World War II, it has been continuously held since 1930.
From 1930 to 1950, it was known as the British Empire Games, but has since been renamed the Commonwealth Games, as athletes from all across the Commonwealth of Nations will take part.
The country to host the event the most is Australia, having welcomed athletes five times since the Games began.
Aside from being one of the most famous multi-sporting events in the world, the Commonwealth Games is also one of the most inclusive. Athletes with a disability are considered full members of their national teams, which means the medals they earn are counted with their country’s. It is also the first global sporting event to have an equal number of men’s and women’s events.
In the world of sports, it’s a pretty big event, so let’s take a little look at where it came from.
Way back in 1891, a man named John Astley Cooper wrote a letter to The Times newspaper suggesting that a sporting event should be held every four years as a means of ‘increasing goodwill and understanding of the British Empire.’ His campaigning is what inspired Pierre de Coubertin to reinvent what we now know as the Olympic Games.
However, there was still enthusiasm for an Empire Games. This increased after the Inter-Empire Championship was held in 1911 as part of the Festival of the Empire, to celebrate the coronation of King George V.
While the original idea for the Commonwealth Games belonged to John Astley Cooper, the man usually credited as the founder of the Commonwealth Games is Melville Marks Robinson, also known as Bobby Robinson.
Bobby Robinson was a Canadian sports journalist, who also became the manager of Canada’s track and field team for the 1928 Olympic Games. Inspired by the success of the Inter-Empire Championship in 1911, he began lobbying for the creation of a British Empire Games.
Bobby Robinson was ultimately successful. The first British Empire Games was held in Hamilton, Canada, in 1930. Eleven countries took part in the Games, which included six sports:
The event was a success, and the Empire Games were subsequently held every four years, becoming the lasting legacy of Bobby Robinson.
We’ve already established that anyone within the Commonwealth of Nations can participate in this event, but what exactly does that mean?
Traditionally, a country would have to have some kind of history with the British Empire to become part of the Commonwealth, but that’s no longer the case. Essentially, it exists so that different countries can co-operate with each other to advance their development and pretty much any country could join.
Although there are only 54 countries within the Commonwealth, around 72 teams compete in the Commonwealth Games. This is because some dependent states prefer to compete under their own flag. For example, the United Kingdom will compete as the UK during the Olympic Games. In the Commonwealth Games, they’ll compete separately as England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
When a team wins in a sporting event, they can come first, second, or third place. They will then win a gold, silver, or bronze medal, respectively. The all-time top gold medal winner of the Commonwealth Games is Australia, with England coming in second place.
Of course, an event this huge needs an organising committee just as big. This is the job of the Commonwealth Games Federation, or the CGF. They must decide what sports will be played during games and also choose the hosting cities.
However, it isn’t just the sports that people will tune in to watch. There are also plenty of ceremonies, including the opening ceremony, the Baton Relay, and the closing ceremony, so there are organising committees for these, too.
The members of these committees have a pretty tough job as there are over 5,000 athletes, more than 15 different sports, and over 250 events!
Similar to the Olympic Torch Relay, the Baton Relay is a relay that travels around the world in the run-up to the Commonwealth Games, finishing when the event begins.
It usually starts at Buckingham Palace. King Charles, as the current head of the Commonwealth, will insert a message into the baton. During the opening ceremony, it will be given back to him, so he can read it aloud. From there, let the games commence!
There is no set distance the baton must travel, but back in 2000, it covered around 60,000 miles and passed through 23 nations!
More sports are being added to the Commonwealth Games all the time. In 2018, the Gold Coast games held 18 sports. This expanded to 19 in the Birmingham games of 2022. The decision for what games we get to see is partially determined by the host. The current Commonwealth Games sports are:
Here at Twinkl, we have loads of fun activities, worksheets, and display resources ready for the Commonwealth Games. You can download them all at just the click of a button.
Early Years:
The Commonwealth Games Sports Events Word Mat
The Commonwealth Games Colouring Sheets
The Commonwealth Games Playdough Mats
Years 3-6:
The Commonwealth Games Word Search
The Commonwealth Games Venn Diagram Worksheet
The Commonwealth Games Stickers
Before you go, check out this NewsRoom story all about the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Feel free to check out our NewsRoom YouTube channel for even more news stories for your class!
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