18 things to know about the Commonwealth Games
As the Commonwealth Games approaches, we take a look at some of the lesser-known facts that might take you by surprise.
The Queen will formally open the 20th Commonwealth Games in Glasgow tonight in front of a 40 000 crowd at Celtic Park. More than 4 500 athletes from 71 Commonwealth nations and territories will parade during the curtain raiser, while organisers say a global TV audience of up to a billion people is expected to watch the event.
Altogether 17 sports will be featured during the 11 days of competition, starting tomorrow (Thursday). The closing ceremony will take place on August 3, at Hampden Stadium.
Sporting codes that Team South Africa will contest at the games are the following: aquatics (including para-swimming), athletics (including para-athletics), badminton, boxing, cycling, gymnastics, hockey, judo, lawn bowls, netball, para-powerlifting, rugby sevens, shooting, triathlon, weightlifting and wrestling.
At the last Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, India four years ago, Team South Africa won 33 medals to end joint fifth on the medals table with 12 gold, 11 silver and 10 bronze medals.
This short documentary presents highlights of the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games. In Vancouver, top-ranking athletes from the far corners of the British Commonwealth competed for new records. The film records outstanding feats in racing, jumping, pole-vaulting, swimming as well as the “miracle mile” duel between John Landy and Roger Bannister.
As with all major sporting events there are some incredible statistics to be unearthed even down to how much fruit the athletes are expected to consume! www.telugunow.com compiled the following list:
1. The Commonwealth Games is a unique, world class event which is held once every four years. It’s often referred to as the ‘Friendly Games’.
2. The Commonwealth is made up by 53 member countries.
3. Scotland has previously hosted the Commonwealth Games twice, in 1970 and 1986, both in Edinburgh.
4. The Queen’s Baton travelled around the Commonwealth for 288 days before the Games covering more than 118,000 miles. The first Queens Baton Relay was staged for the 1958 Commonwealth Games in Cardiff.
5. At the 2014 Games there will be 6 500 athletes from 71 nations competing in 17 sports over 11 days.
6. The games are made up of 10 core sports and then the other seven can be selected by the host.
7. In the original Commonwealth Games, only 400 athletes from 11 countries took part.
8. At the 2014 games five sports will run 22 para-sport medal events, the highest number of events to date.
9. The first Commonwealth Games were held in Canada in 1930.
10. Hampden Park’s surface has been raised by 1,9 metres to create an IAAF-standard athletics arena for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.
11. 50 811 people put their names forward to volunteer at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.
12. The Royal Commonwealth Pool in Edinburgh will feature in its third games having been involved in 1970 and 1986.
13. The next Commonwealth Games will be held in the Gold Coast, Australia in 2018.
14. Athletes are expected to eat 500 000 pieces of fruit and 60 tonnes of potatoes during the Commonwealth Games.
15. The Commonwealth Games Athletes’ Village is 35 hectares in size, the equivalent of 54 football pitches!
16. 840 shuttlecocks will be used across the Commonwealth Badminton competition as the players battle it out for the gold medal.
17. 3000 balls will be used across six sports during the Commonwealth Games.
18. Australia leads the way with a staggering 803 gold medals, the only nation with over 2 000 medals.
Source: https://www.telugunow.com/
Original post: 18 things to be known about the Commonwealth Games
