What are the Commonwealth Games ?

The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) is the organisation responsible for the direction and control of the Commonwealth Games and Commonwealth Youth Games

So far, only 6 countries have participated in all the Commonwealth Games organised till date. These countries are; Australia, Canada, England, New Zealand, Scotland and Wales.

It is an organisation headquartered and incorporated in the UK, but working across 71 member nations and territories.

The Commonwealth Games Federation Executive Board is elected by the member 70 nations and territories at the CGF General Assembly

It is expected that in the ongoing 21st Commonwealth Games, India will repeat her best performance and will be able to fetch more medals so that her total medal count can cross 500 and secure the top three position in the medal tally.

Commonwealth sports leaders committed to driving and upholding the vision, mission, values and responsibilities of the Commonwealth Sports Movement. The CGF President, elected in September 2015, is Louise Martin CBE - the first female to hold this office in the history of the movement

The Commonwealth Sports Movement's Strategic Plan 2015-2022 was unanimously approved by all 71 nations and territories at the Commonwealth Games Federation's General Assembly in September 2015.

Boxing awards TWO Bronze Medals. Since 1958 the third-place is shared by the two beaten semi-finalists. With the dual award being made in each weight category it and Judo are the only sports in the Commonwealth Games which awards FOUR, and not THREE, Medals after each Final.

The first Commonwealth Games was hosted by Hamilton, Canada and saw the participation of 400 athletes from 11 countries. The 2014 edition of the games will witness 6500 athletes from 71 countries take part in 17 sports.

Greg Yelavich, a shooter from New Zealand, could compete in a record eighth Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. He has won 12 medals and first competed in Edinburgh in 1986.

Lawn Bowls is the only sport on the Commonwealth Games program, which is not an Olympic event - a reflection of the influence of the former British Empire on the choice of competitions for the Commonwealth Games.

Netball was one of three team sports introduced in the Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games in 1998, and is a female-only sport.

A measure of just how powerful are the top 3 Commonwealth Games swimming nations is the medal tally. Australia, Canada and England have won 1300 swimming Medals, while the rest of the Commonwealth countries have won only 212 among them.

The Soviet Union's Vassily Alekseyev had some interesting eating habits which helped him break 80 World Records. For breakfast he would tuck into a 36-egg omelette. Lunch was a tidy 6 large steaks washed down with 20-pints of beer, and for a bit of variety dinner was a repeat of what he had for lunch.

Tennis made it’s debut at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India. However,it does not feature in the 2014 Games.