Participating nations for XIX Commonwealth Games

Participating nations

Ø  There are currently 54 members of the Commonwealth of Nations, and 71 teams participate in the Games.

Ø  The four Home Nations of the United Kingdom – England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – send separate teams to the Commonwealth Games, and individual teams are also sent from the British Crown dependencies of Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man (unlike at the Olympic Games, where the combined "Great Britain" team represents all four home nations and the Crown dependencies).

Ø  Many of the British overseas territories also send their own teams.

Ø  The Australian external territory of Norfolk Island also sends its own team, as do the Cook Islands and Niue, two states in free association with New Zealand.

Ø  It was reported that Tokelau, another dependency of New Zealand would be sending a team to the 2010 Games in New Delhi, India. In the end however they did not.

Ø  All member nations of the Commonwealth of Nations participated in the event, except Fiji, which is suspended from the Commonwealth.

Ø  Rwanda fielded a team for the games for the first time after becoming a Commonwealth member in 2009.

Numbers of athletes are shown in brackets.

Anguilla (12)

 Antigua and Barbuda (17)

 Australia (377)

 Bahamas (25)

 Bangladesh (70)

 Barbados (39)

 Belize (9)

 Bermuda (14)

 Botswana (49)

 British Virgin Islands (2)

 Brunei (12)

 Cameroon (20)

 Canada (251)

 Cayman Islands (17)

 Cook Islands (31)

 Cyprus (56)

 Dominica (15)

 England (365)

  Falkland Islands (15)

 Gambia (17)

 Ghana (64)

 Gibraltar (15)

 Grenada (10)

 Guernsey (43)

 Guyana (34)

 India (495)

 Isle of Man (33)

 Jamaica (48)

 Jersey (33)

 Kenya (136)

 Kiribati(17)

 Lesotho (10)

 Malawi (43)

 Malaysia (203)

 Maldives (28)

 Malta (22)

  Mauritius (60)

 Montserrat (5)

 Mozambique (10)

 Namibia (30)

 Nauru (6)

 New Zealand (192)

 Nigeria (101) 

 Niue (24)

 Norfolk Island (22)

 Northern Ireland (80)

 Pakistan (54)

 Papua New Guinea (79)

 Rwanda (22)

 Saint Helena (4)

 Saint Kitts and Nevis (7)

 Saint Lucia (13)

 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines(14)

 Samoa (53)

  Scotland (191)

 Seychelles (26)

 Sierra Leone (31)

 Singapore (68)

 Solomon Islands (12)

 South Africa (113)

 Sri Lanka (93)

 Swaziland (11)

 Tanzania (40)

 Tonga (22)

 Trinidad and Tobago (82)

 Turks and Caicos Islands (8)

 Tuvalu (3)

 Uganda (65) 

 Vanuatu (14)

 Wales (175)

 Zambia (22)

Special investigation committee to probe the allegations of corruption and mismanagement

Ø  The day after the conclusion of the Games, the Indian Government announced the formation of a special investigation committee to probe the allegations of corruption and mismanagement that had marred the buildup to the Games.

Ø  The probe committee will be led by former Comptroller and Auditor General of India VK Shungloo. This probe will be in addition to the Central Bureau of Investigation, Enforcement Directorate, and Central Vigilance Commission investigations already underway.

About XIX Commonwealth Games

XIX Commonwealth Games

Ø  The 2010 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XIX Commonwealth Games, were held in Delhi, India, from 3 to 14 October 2010.

Ø  A total of 6,081 athletes from 71 Commonwealth nations and dependencies competed in 17 sports and 272 events.

Ø  It was the largest international multi-sport event to be staged in Delhi and India, eclipsing the Asian Games in 1951 and 1982.

Ø  The opening and closing ceremonies were held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the main stadium of the event. It was the first time that the Commonwealth Games were held in India and the second time it was held in Asia after Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 1998.

Ø  All member nations of the Commonwealth of Nations participated in the event, except Fiji, which is suspended from the Commonwealth. and Tokelau, which didn't send a team.

Ø  The final medal tally was led by Australia. The host nation India gave its strongest performance yet to emerge second, while England placed third.

Ø  The games closed on 14th October in a colorful and appreciated closing ceremony featuring both Indian and Scottish performers.The Commonwealth Games flag was handed over to representatives of Glasgow, Scotland, which will host the XX Commonwealth Games in 2014.

Bids

Ø  The two principal bids for the 2010 Commonwealth Games were from Delhi, India and Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. A ballot of members was held in November 2003 at the Commonwealth Games Federation General Assembly in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Delhi bid won by a margin of 46 votes to 22, confirming India's first successful bid for the Games. The bid was Canada's attempt to hold the games for the fifth time.

Ø  India also thanked Latif Butt, former vice president of the Olympic Council of Asia, for his support in the winning bid.

Organising Committee

Ø  The Organising Committee Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi  (OC CWG Delhi 2010) came into being on 10 February 2005, as a registered society under the Societies Registration Act 1860.

Ø  It was resolved by the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) in the General Assembly held in Jamaica on 13 November 2003 to entrust the organising and hosting of the XIX Commonwealth Games to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).

Ø  Jarnail Singh, a former Secretary of the Government of India, was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer and Indian Olympic Association president Suresh Kalmadi was appointed as head of the committee.

Ø  At the launch of the Queen's Baton Relay in October 2009, the Business Club of India (BCI) was formed through the partnership of the organising committee, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). The BCI was formed to both market the Games and promote Indian business interests internationally.

Logo

Ø  The logo of the XIX Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi is inspired by the Chakra, the national symbol of freedom, unity and power. Spiralling upwards, it depicts the growth of India into a proud, vibrant nation. Her billion people coming together to fulfil their true destinies. India`s journey from tradition to modernity, her economic transformation into a super power… reaching out to the world and leading the way, even as she enthusiastically embraces all the 71 CGA nations and territories of the Commonwealth to become one and host the best ever Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

Opening ceremony

Ø  The opening ceremony of the 2010 Commonwealth Games was held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the main stadium of the event, in New Delhi, India. It began at 7:00 PM (IST) on 3 October 2010 ending at 11:00 PM (IST) displaying India's varied culture in a plethora of cultural showcases. It was watched live by a global audience of around three billion.

Ø  Prince Charles, Prince of Wales (representing Queen Elizabeth II as Head of the Commonwealth) and President of India Pratibha Patil officially declared the Games open. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of the host nation, India, attended the opening ceremony as well.

Ø  A total of three heads of state from outside India attended the opening ceremony; two from Commonwealth nations and one from a non-Commonwealth nation. The three head of states are Mohamed Nasheed, President of the Maldives, Marcus Stephen, President of Nauru and a multiple Commonwealth gold medallist, and Prince Albert II of Monaco, whose country Monaco is not a member of the Commonwealth. As well, Sir Anand Satyanand, the Governor General of New Zealand (the first of Indian descent), attended the ceremony.

Theme song

Ø  The XIX Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi's theme song, Jiyo Utho Bado Jeeto (Live, Rise, Ascend, Win), music maestro A. R. Rahman's call to the people and athletes of India and the Commonwealth to come out and play was launched on 28 August 2010.

Official mascot

Ø  The official mascot for the 2010 Commonwealth Games is Shera, an anthropomorphised tiger.

Ø  The song 'Shera' was conceived and produced by Vikramjit Sahney. The music composer is Jeetu J. The song has been sung in Hindi and English by Vikramjit Sahney, Shibani Kashyap and Millind. It reflects the spirit of Shera, representing majesty, power, charisma and grace.

Green Commonwealth Games

Ø  Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games being recognised as the first ever "Green Commonwealth Games"

Ø  The organisers signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United Nations Environment Programme to show the intention to host a "sustainable games" and to take the environment into consideration when constructing and renovating venues. Thyagaraj Stadium is intended to be a key example of environmentally considered construction.

Queen's Baton Relay

Ø  The Queen's Baton Relay began when the baton, which contains Queen Elizabeth II's message to the athletes, left Buckingham Palace on 29 October 2009.

Ø  The baton arrived at the 2010 Games opening ceremony on 3 October 2010, after visiting the other 54 nations of the Commonwealth and travelling throughout India, reaching millions of people to join in the celebrations for the Games.The baton arrived in India on 25 June 2010 through the Wagah Border crossing from Pakistan.

Ø  The baton was designed by Michael Foley, a graduate of the National Institute of Design. It is a triangular section of aluminium twisted into a helix shape and then coated with coloured soils collected from all the regions of India. The coloured soils are a first for the styling of a Queen's Baton. A jewel-encrusted box was used to house the Queen's message, which was laser-engraved onto a miniature 18 carat gold leaf—representative of the ancient Indian 'patras.

Ø  The Queen's baton is ergonomically contoured for ease of use. It is 664 millimetres (26.1 in) high, 34 millimetres (1.3 in) wide at the base, and 86 millimetres (3.4 in) wide at the top and weighs 1,900 grams (67 oz).

Ø  The Queen's baton has a number of technological features including: a) The ability to capture images and sound. b) Global positioning system (GPS) technology so the baton's location can be tracked  c) Embedded light emitting diodes (LEDs) which will change into the colours of a country's flag whilst in that country

Ø  A text messaging capability so that people can send messages of congratulations and encouragement to the baton bearers throughout the relay

Sports for the 2010 Commonwealth Games

There were 17 sports for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

1. Aquatics :  Diving,  Swimming,  Synchronised swimming.

2. Archery (8)             3. Athletics (46)          4. Badminton (6)         5. Boxing (11) 

6. Cycling  : Road,  Track.

7. Gymnastics : Artistic gymnastics,  Rhythmic gymnastics.

8. Hockey (2)              9. Lawn bowls (6)       10. Netball (1)             11. Rugby sevens (1)              12. Shooting (44)              13. Squash (5) 

14. Table tennis (7)  15. Tennis (5)                16. Weightlifting (15)             17. Wrestling (21) 

Ø  Kabaddi was a demonstration sport at the Games.

Ø  Triathlon was excluded from the games as there was no suitable location for the swimming stage.

Ø  The organisers have also removed basketball, but included archery, tennis and wrestling.

Ø  Cricket, although in strong demand, did not make a come-back as the Board of Control for Cricket in India were not keen on a Twenty20 tournament, and the organisers did not want a one day tournament.

History of Commonwealth Games

Commonwealth Games

Ø  A sporting contest that brought together members of the British Empire was first proposed by Reverend Ashley Cooper when he suggested a Pan-Britannic, Pan-Anglican Contest and Festival every four years to foster goodwill and understanding within the Empire.

Ø  In 1928, a key Canadian athlete, Bobby Robinson, was given the responsibility of organising the first British Empire Games, which culminated in the first-ever Commonwealth Games being held in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, in 1930. 

Ø  These first Games saw the participation of 400 athletes from 11 countries.

Games             Year    Host                Dates                           Sports Events NationsCompetitors 

British Empire Games

I           1930    Hamilton, Canada 16 – 23 August      6          59        11                    400  

II         1934    London, England 4 – 11 August         6          68        16                    500  

III        1938    Sydney, Australia 5 – 12 February     7          71        15                    464    

IV        1950    Auckland, New Zealand 4 – 11 Feb. 9          88        12                    590   

British Empire and Commonwealth Games

V         1954    Vancouver, Canada 30 July – 7 August         9          91        24                    662    

VI        1958    Cardiff, Wales 18 – 26 July               9          94        36                    1122  

VII       1962    Perth, Australia 22 Nov. – 1 Dec.       9          104      35                    863   

VIII     1966    Kingston, Jamaica 4 – 13 August       9          110      34                    1050  

British Commonwealth Games

IX        1970    Edinburgh, Scotland 16 – 25 July       9          121      42                    1383   

X         1974    Christchurch, N Z.  24 Jan. – 2 Feb.   9          121      38                    1276  

Commonwealth Games

XI        1978    Edmonton, Canada 3 – 12 August      10        128      46                    1474    

XII       1982    Brisbane, Australia 30 Sep. — 9 Oct.             10        142      46                    1583    

XIII     1986  Edinburgh, Scotland 24 July – 2 August          10        163      26                    1662    

XIV     1990  Auckland, New Zealand 24 Jan. – 3 Feb.        10        204      55                    2073    

XV      1994  Victoria, Canada 18 – 28 August                     10        217      63                    2557    

XVI     1998  Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 11 – 21 Sept.            15        213      70                    3633    

XVII    2002  Manchester, England 25 July – 4 August         17        281      72                    3679    

XVIII   2006  Melbourne, Australia 15 – 26 March    16        245      71                   4049    

XIX     2010  Delhi, India 3 – 14 October                 17        272      71                    6081    

XX      2014  Glasgow, Scotland 23 July – 3 August        

XXI     2018 Gold Coast, Australia or Hambantota, Sri Lanka To be decided         

Ø  The event was renamed as the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1954, the British Commonwealth Games in 1970, and gained its current title in 1978.

Ø  Only six teams have attended every Commonwealth Games: Australia, Canada, England, New Zealand, Scotland and Wales. Australia has been the highest achieving team for eleven games, England for seven and Canada for one.

Ø  The quadrennial schedule of the games was interrupted by World War II and the 1942 Games (set to be held in Montreal, Canada) were abandoned.[4] The games were continued in 1950

Ø  The three nations to have hosted the games the most number of times are Australia (4), Canada (4) and New Zealand (3). Furthermore, five editions have taken place in the countries within the United Kingdom. Two cities have held the games on multiple occasions: Auckland (1950 and 1990), and Edinburgh (1970 and 1986).

Traditions

Ø  From 1930 until 1950, the parade of nations was led by a single flagbearer carrying the Union Flag.

Ø  Since 1958, the Queen's Baton Relay has taken place, in which athletes carry a baton from Buckingham Palace to the games opening ceremony. This baton has within it Queen Elizabeth II's message of greeting to the athletes. The baton's final bearer is usually a famous sporting personage of the host nation.

Ø  All other nations march in English alphabetical order, except that the first nation marching in the Parade of Athletes is the host nation of the previous games, and the host nation of the current games marches last. In 2006 countries marched in alphabetical order in geographical regions.

Ø  Three national flags fly from the stadium on the poles that are used for medal ceremonies: Previous host nation, Current host nation, Next host nation.

Ø  The military is more active in the Opening Ceremony than in the Olympic Games. This is to honour the British Military traditions of the Old Empire

History of Commonwealth Games

COMMONWEALTH GAMES

After Olympics, Commonwealth Games is the second largest sports festival in the world. The Games are held once in four years but only in between the Olympic years. The Games were originally known as the British Empire Games. The first Commonwealth Games were held in 1930 at Hamilton, Canada. The 10th Commonwealth Games were held at Christchurch, New Zealand in 1974, the 11th in Edmonton (Canada) in 1978, the 12th in Brisbane (Australia) in 1982, the 13th in Edinburgh (Scotland) in 1986, the 14th in Auckland (New Zealand) in 1990 and the 15th in Victoria (Canada) in 1994, where about 3,350 athletes from a record 64 nations (including South Africa, which joined the family of Commonwealth athletes after 36 years) participated. Namibia also, which gained its independence in 1990, made its debut while Hong Kong made its final appearance in the Games before being ceded to China in 1997.

S. No	Venue	Year	No of Countries
1	Hamilton, Canada	1930	11
2	London, United Kingdom	1934	16
3	Sydney, Australia	1938	15
4	Auckland, New Zealand	1950	12
5	Vancouver, Canada	1954	24
6	Cardiff, United Kingdom	1958	35
7	Perth, Australia	1962	35
8	Jamaica, West Indies	1966	34
9	Edinburgh, United Kingdom	1970	42
10	Christchurch, New Zealand	1974	38
11	Edmonton, Canada	1978	48
12	Brisbane, Australia	1982	47
13	Edinburgh, United Kingdom	1986	26
14	Auckland, New Zealand	1990	55
15	Victoria, Canada	1994	64
16	Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	1998	70
17	Manchchester, United Kingdom	2002	72
18	Melbourne, Australia	2006
19	New Delhi, India	2010

ASIAN GAMES

India played a leading role to organise sports festival for Asian countries on Olympic lines. 'Ever Onward' is the motto of the Asian Games and 'a bright full rising sun with interlocking rings' is its emblem. The first Asian Games were held at New Delhi in 1951 followed by Manila, Philippines (1954); Tokyo, Japan (1958); Jakarta, Indonesia (1962); Bangkok, Thailand (1966, 1970, 1978 & 1998); Teheran, Iran (1974); New Delhi, India (1982); Seoul, South Korea (1986); Beijing, China (1990); Hiroshima, Japan (1994); Bangkok, Thailand (1998); Busan, South Korea (2002); Doha, Qatar (2006). The next editions of the Games is scheduled to be held in and Guangzhou, China (2010).

SAP GAMES

The South Asian Federation Games (SAP Games) is a sport festival of South Asian countries. The South Asian Sports Federation comprising India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Maldives was formed in New Delhi in November, 1982. The first SAP Games were held in Kathmandu in 1984 followed by Dhaka (1985), Kolkata (1987), Islamabad (1989), Colombo (1991), Dhaka (1993) and Chennai (1995). The Eighth SAF Games (September 25-Octobcr 4, 1999) were held in Kathmandu. Three new events—badminton, rowing and karate were introduced for the first time in the 9th SAP Games.
New Name For SAF Games: The SAP Games have been rechristencd as South Asian Games, according to a decision taken by the South Asian Sports Federation at its 32nd meeting held in Islamabad (Pakistan) on April 2, 2004.