Commonwealth Games are a sports competition for members of the Commonwealth of Nations. The Commonwealth of Nations is an association of independent countries and other political units, most of which formerly lived under British law and government. Like the Olympic Games, the Commonwealth Games are held every four years. Athletes compete in such events as badminton, boxing, cycling, field hockey, lawn bowls, rugby sevens, squash, swimming and diving, track and field, and weightlifting.
The first Commonwealth Games, called the British Empire Games, took place in 1930 in Hamilton, Canada. No games were held from 1939 to 1949, because of World War II (1939-1945). The name of the competition was changed to the British Empire & Commonwealth Games in 1954, the British Commonwealth Games in 1970, and the Commonwealth Games in 1978. The games are supervised by an international organization called the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF). The CGF also supervises the Commonwealth Youth Games, which usually take place within one or two years of the Commonwealth Games. The youth games were first held in 2000 in Edinburgh, Scotland.
The Commonwealth Games begin several weeks before the actual competition with a special baton relay. A baton containing a message from the reigning king or queen of the United Kingdom is carried by a series of runners from Buckingham Palace, in London, England, through each participating nation or territory, to the host city. The nation hosting the games designs the baton. The final relay runner hands the baton back to the monarch or the monarch’s representative, who reads the message aloud to officially start the games.
The 2022 Commonwealth Games were held in Birmingham, England. About 5,000 athletes and sports officials from 72 countries and territories throughout the world attended. The games consisted of 280 events in 20 sports. Events were divided equally between male and female athletes. The competition began with opening ceremonies on July 28 and concluded with closing ceremonies on August 8. Most of the competition was held in Birmingham and nearby cities in the middle of England. Some cycling events took place in London. The next Commonwealth Games are scheduled to be held in 2026.
