Commonwealth Games: A brief history, editions and hosts

In the realm of multi-sports events of global renown, the Commonwealth Games is unique.

While the Olympics are the biggest and oldest multi-sport global event on Planet Earth, most of the other big-name events like the Asian Games, European Games and Pan American Games are continental. In short, they have been structured according to geopolitical affiliations.

The Commonwealth Games, though, don't follow that trend. Instead, its origin is rooted in history.

The CWG, as the name suggests, is an event for the Commonwealth of Nations - a group of 54 nations, most of which were former colonies of the British Empire.

The inspiration for the Commonwealth Games came from the Inter-Empire Championships held in London in 1911. The event was a part of the Festival of Empire to celebrate the coronation of King George V. It is not, however, considered an official Commonwealth Games edition.

The first official Commonwealth Games, then known as the British Empire Games, were held in 1930 with Canada’s Hamilton as hosts. The Commonwealth Games 1930 began on August 16 and ended on the 23rd.

It was the brainchild of revered Canadian sportswriter and editor Melville Marks Robinson, who came up with the idea of hosting the event after attending the Amsterdam Olympics in 1928. Robinson, at the time, was the sports editor of the Hamilton Spectator newspaper.

The inaugural edition saw almost 400 athletes from 11 different countries and territories take part. Women also participated, but only in the swimming events. Canadian athlete Gordon Smallacombe won the first gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in the triple jump.

The opening ceremony and a bulk of the events at the Commonwealth Games 1930 were held at the Civic Stadium, now called the Ivor Wynne Stadium. The Games Village was reportedly set up at the Prince of Wales School near the stadium, where the athletes slept in the classrooms.

Since the inaugural edition, the Commonwealth Games have been held every four years, barring a break in 1942 and 1946 because of World War 2.

The event came to be formally known as the Commonwealth Games from 1978. The Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022 was the 22nd edition of the quadrennial showpiece.

To date, nine different countries – Australia, Canada, England, Wales, Scotland, Jamaica, India, New Zealand and Malaysia – have hosted the CWG. Australia and Canada have hosted the most number of Commonwealth Games - five editions each.

Scotland will host the 2026 edition in Glasgow. Initially, Australia's Melbourne and Victoria State were set to be the venues.

India hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2010.

Commonwealth Games editions and hosts

* Yet to be held