Commonwealth Games& world politics

The Commonwealth Games, like the Olympic Games have suffered from the effects of world politics. Black African Commonwealth countries have boycotted the games several occasions in protest against other Commonwealth countries having sporting links with South Africa. Between 1930 and 1958, white South Africans won 190 medals (72 gold, 60 silver and 58 bronzes) in the British Empire and Commonwealth Games. The games have suffered from boycotts, especially that of 1986, but these have never been on the scale of those that have affected the Olympics.


The Games are held every four years midway between the Olympic Games with competing nations being part of the British Commonwealth. It is often referred to as the “Friendly Games.” Only six teams have attended every Commonwealth Games: Australia, Canada, England, New Zealand, Scotland and Wales. There are 53 Commonwealth countries represented by 71 Commonwealth Games Association (CGA) that can enter a team in the Commonwealth Games because some Commonwealth countries have more than one CGA. Although the United Kingdom is one member of the Commonwealth, the seven CGA’s namely, England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey compete separately in the Commonwealth Games. It has been held in Britain in five occasions: London 1934, Cadriff 1958, Edingburgh 1970 and 1986 and Manchester 2002. The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) is the organization that is responsible for the direction and control of the Commonwealth Games. The three core values of the Commonwealth Games movement are Humanity, Equality and Destiny, which were adopted by the Games movement in 2000.