The first time this event took place was in 1930. It was then known as the British Empire Games and 11 nations participated. It has been held regularly since then, with just one interruption in 1942, during World War II.
After months spent attempting to scrub the stench of corruption and organisational incompetence off its frame, the 2010 Commonwealth Games is finally upon the capital.
A dengue outbreak, the collapse of a foot overbridge outside the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the revelation that the Games village was in ‘unlivable' condition two weeks to the start of the event, and heightened security fears following an attack of a tourist bus near the historic Jama Masjid have led to a host of athletes pulling out of the event.
On track :At the CWG village.
A great platform
Even before this, the Games was bereft of some of the world's best sportspersons. Tennis world number four Andy Murray declined a crack at the men's singles gold, preferring instead to focus on the season-ending events of the ATP Tour. Likewise, Jamaica's roster of athletes didn't contain superstars Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell, and instead included the unflatteringly-named 200m runner Steve Slowly.
Shorn of big names, the primary focus of the event — at least in India — will concern the performance of the host. In recent times, the Commonwealth Games has given Indian sport its most rewarding platform, and fourth-place finishes in the medals tally of the 2002 and 2006 events.
Invitingly cool :The swimming pool
India won 119 of its 272 medals in the competition's history and 52 of its 102 golds in those two editions.
At Melbourne four years ago, shooter Samaresh Jung won the David Dixon Award as the meet's outstanding performer, with seven medals in total — five gold, one silver and a bronze, and three Games records to boot.
Shooting will again represent India's best medal hopes in the Games. Abhinav Bindra, Gagan Narang, Ronjan Sodhi, Manavjit Singh Sandhu and Jung are among the best male shooters in the world, while Tejaswini Sawant, the World 50m rifle prone champion, heads a formidable women's contingent.
Making friends :Shera with team members from the Cook Islands.
Other athletes India will look to with realistic expectations include boxers Vijender Singh and Akhil Kumar, wrestler Sushil Kumar, badminton ace Saina Nehwal and Davis Cup heroes Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi, Somdev Devvarman and Rohan Bopanna.
Table tennis star Achanta Sharath Kamal will look to achieve a repeat of his gold at Melbourne while the squash contingent, led by Saurav Ghosal, Joshna Chinappa and Dipika Pallikal, will hope it can pull off a couple of upsets against some of the finest racket-wielders from Australia, England and Malaysia to break India's duck in squash.
Members
There are currently 54 members of the Commonwealth of Nations, and 71 teams participate in the Games. 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). Many of the British overseas territories also send their own teams. 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.
South African boxer :Lebogang Pilane.
A lil' history
Every four years, a member of the Commonwealth of Nations plays host to the Commonwealth Games. This year it is India. It is an international, multi-sport event and athletes from all the Commonwealth of Nations participate.
As well as many Olympic sports, the Games also include some sports that are played mainly in Commonwealth countries, such as lawn bowls, rugby sevens and netball. The Games are overseen by the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), which also controls the sporting programme and selects the host cities. The host city is selected from across the Commonwealth, with eighteen cities in seven countries having hosted it.
The first CWG was first held in 1930 and was known as the British Empire Games in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. It was later renamed as the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1954, the British Commonwealth Games in 1970. It came to be known as the Commonwealth Games in 1978. Only six teams have attended every Commonwealth Games: Australia, Canada, England, New Zealand, Scotland and Wales. Australia has been the highest achieving team for ten games, England for seven and Canada for one.
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