Since 1930, nations have been brought together by the Commonwealth Games in the name of sports and internationality. However, the Games have changed quite a lot since the beginning.
What are the Commonwealth Games?
As the name implies, the Commonwealth Games are a sports event revolving around the countries making up the Commonwealth. They are also referred to as the “Friendly Games”, as the main objective of the competition is not victory, but to participate to celebrate unity and fair play.
Nineteen sports are going to be included in 2022’s Birmingham edition of the Commonwealth Games, including:
- athletics
- cycling
- gymnastics
- hockey
- wrestling
- women’s cricket
- triathlon
In the previous edition on Australia’s Gold Coast, judo and cricket were not included. This year will also not see a shooting competition.
To be specific, para- and athletics will be held from 2 August until the next-to-last day, 7 August; para-swimming and swimming from 29 July to 3 August, when it switches to diving, from 5 August until the very last day. Cricket, on the other hand, is more staggered: it will happen on the first three days, with a one-day break, and then reprise on 2 until 5 August and finish with a two-day combo on 6 and 7 August. For table tennis and squash enthusiasts, the two sports will be held from the first to the last day of the Games.
[Read more: How much does the Commonwealth Games cost the government?]
Furthermore, the full schedule of the 12 days of Games is available on the official website.
When are the games held?
Like the Olympics, the Commonwealth Games are held every four years and have been since 1930 – with the exception of 1942 and 1946.
This year they are happening in Birmingham, starting on 28 July and ending on 8 August.
Which countries are participating?
To this day, the Commonwealth Nations is a group of 54 sovereign territories, most of which were former British colonies.
However, the number of participating nations this year is 72. This is because a number of dependent territories of these countries will go on to compete under their own flag.
Some of the competing countries are:
England, Wales, and Scotland are not participating as UK, instead, they are competing independently. This has a historical reason behind it: when the Commonwealth Games were founded, they started as separate entities. In fact, competitions were so popular back then that the tradition of competing separately was kept throughout the years.
How much are the tickets?
The official Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games website states that tickets are being and have been sold on a first-come, first-serve basis. The prices start from £8 for under 16s and £15 for adults.
The tickets for these sports are now on resale only:
- aquatics – swimming
- cycling – mountain biking, cycling time trial, road race
- gymnastics – artistic
- triathlon and para-triathlon
The tickets for the rest of the sports are available to buy from the official site.
