The 2022 Commonwealth Games are in full swing and to mark the occasion, we have compiled 10 facts that you may or may not have known about the ‘Friendly Games’.
The opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games took place at Alexander Stadium in Birmingham on Thursday 28 July ahead of athletes from 72 participating nations competing at the quadrennial event. England, as the host nation, along with other home nations in Scotland, Wales, and Ireland are all expected to enjoy success at the showpiece event.
To mark the staging, we have put together 10 facts about the Commonwealth Games that you may or may not already know.
When was the First Commonwealth Games Held?
The first Commonwealth Games was held in 1930, under the guise of the British Empire Games, in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The Games have also been called the British Empire and Commonwealth Games and the British Commonwealth Games. The 1978 Games, held in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, was the first under the current Commonwealth Games name.
Why are the Commonwealth Games Called the Friendly Games?
The Commonwealth Games is known as the ‘Friendly Games’ as its main objective is to bring people together through sport.
How Many Countries are in the Commonwealth Games?
Birmingham 2022 will see 72 countries represented at the Commonwealth Games, with more than 5,000 athletes competing.
What Sports are in the Commonwealth Games?
There will be 20 different sports featured at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, which are:
- Aquatics
- Athletics
- Badminton
- Basketball (3v3)
- Beach Volleyball
- Boxing
- Cricket (Women’s Twenty20)
- Cycling
- Gymnastics
- Field Hockey
- Judo
- Lawn Bowls
- Netball
- Para Powerlifting
- Rugby Sevens
- Squash
- Table Tennis
- Triathlon
- Weightlifting
- Wrestling
When are the Next Commonwealth Games?
After 2022, the next Commonwealth Games will be held in Victoria, Australia, with the opening ceremony due to take place on 17 March 2026 and the closing ceremony on 29 March 2026.
Who Has Won the Most Medals at the Commonwealth Games?
Australia leads the all-time Commonwealth Games medal table, coming into this year’s event, with 2,416 medals (932 golds, 775 silvers, and 709 bronze).
Why do England, Wales, Scotland, and Wales Compete Separately?
Unlike at the Olympic Games, the home nations compete separately rather than as Team GB. At the Olympic Games, only sovereign states can enter which is why British athletes compete for Great Britain, rather than four England, Wales, Scotland, or Wales.
It is tradition for the home nations to compete separately at the Commonwealth Games, stemming from the first Games (then the British Empire Games) with each colony and nation having its own representative team. Therefore, the home nations compete separately as they do in sports such as football and rugby.
How Many Medals will be Awarded at Birmingham 2022?
1,875 medals have been designed by three students via a competition held by Birmingham’s School of Jewellery and organisers of the Commonwealth Games and will be awarded across 283 medal events.
Birmingham 2022 will Feature more Women’s Events than Men’s
This year’s Commonwealth Games makes history as being the first-ever global multi-sport event to feature more women’s (136) events than men’s (134).
How Much did the 2022 Commonwealth Games Cost?
The 2022 Commonwealth Games is expected to have a total cost of £778 million, which is far cheaper than the 2010 New Delhi Games that India spent more than £6 billion to host.
