The Commonwealth Games, often referred to as the Friendly Games, are a quadrennial international multi-sport event among athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930, and, with the exception of 1942 and 1946, have successively run every four years since. The Games were called the British Empire Games from 1930 to 1950, the British Empire and Commonwealth Games from 1954 to 1966, and British Commonwealth Games from 1970 to 1974. Athletes with a disability are included as full members of their national teams since 2002, making the Commonwealth Games the first fully inclusive international multi-sport event. In 2018, the Games became the first global multi-sport event to feature an equal number of men's and women's medal events and four years later they are the first global multi-sport event to have more events for women than men.
The 1938 British Empire Games was the third British Empire Games, the event that evolved to become the Commonwealth Games. Held in Sydney, Australia from 5–12 February 1938, they were timed to coincide with Sydney's sesqui-centenary. Venues included the Sydney Cricket Ground, the Sydney Sports Ground, North Sydney Olympic Pool and Henson Park. An estimated 40,000 people attended the opening ceremony. A competitors' residential village was established within the grounds of the Sydney Showground.
Leslie Roy Mills is a retired New Zealand track and field athlete and politician. He represented New Zealand at the Olympic Games and Commonwealth Games over two decades, competing in the shot put and discus throw. He won a total of five medals at the Commonwealth Games including gold in the discus at the 1966 Games.
Sport in New Zealand largely reflects the nation's colonial heritage, with some of the most popular sports being rugby union, rugby league, cricket, association football, basketball, horse racing and netball, which are primarily played in Commonwealth countries. New Zealand has enjoyed success in many sports, notably rugby union, rugby league, cricket, America's Cup sailing, world championship and Olympics events, and motorsport.
Anthony Robin Le Clerc Mosse is a former New Zealand swimmer who competed at two Summer Olympic Games and three Commonwealth Games. He won one Olympic bronze medal, as well as two gold medals, one silver and one bronze at the Commonwealth Games.
Scotland is one of only six countries to have competed in every Commonwealth Games since the first Empire Games in 1930. The others are Australia, Canada, England, New Zealand and Wales.
Australia first competed at the Games, then titled the British Empire Games, in 1930; and is one of only six countries to have sent athletes to every Commonwealth Games. The others are Canada, England, New Zealand, Scotland, and Wales. Australian athletes competed for Australasia at the 1911 Festival of the Empire, the forerunner to the British Empire Games.
Philip "Phil" Andrew Brown is a British retired athlete who competed mainly in the 400 metres.
Wales is one of six countries to have competed in every Commonwealth Games since 1930, the others being Australia, Canada, England, New Zealand and Scotland. At the Commonwealth Games, Wales takes part as a separate entity, as in the Six Nations Rugby Championship, Rugby World Cup and international association football competitions. In other events, such as the Olympic Games, they compete under the banner of the United Kingdom.
Judith Miriam Oakes is a female retired English shot putter.
Papua New Guinea made its Commonwealth Games début in the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Perth, Western Australia. The country has competed in 15 editions of the Games, as of 2022
Stanley Arthur Lay was a New Zealand javelin thrower who competed at the 1928 Summer Olympics, 1930 British Empire Games, 1938 British Empire Games, and 1950 British Empire Games. In 1928, he finished seventh. At the British Empire Games he won a gold medal in 1930 and a silver in 1938, placing sixth in 1950.
New Zealand at the 1950 British Empire Games was represented by a team of 175 competitors and 24 officials. Selection of the host nation's team for the Games in Auckland, was the responsibility of the New Zealand Olympic and British Empire Games Association. New Zealand's flagbearer at the opening ceremony was Harold Nelson. The New Zealand team finished third on the medal table, winning a total of 53 medals, 10 of which were gold.
William James Tinnock was a New Zealand rower.
Robert Lang McDonald was a New Zealand lawn bowls player who competed at four Commonwealth Games, winning gold, silver and bronze medals in the men's pairs.
Charles de Beaumont was a British fencer.
Ronald René Charles Paul was a British fencer.
Derek Charles Pugh was a British track and field athlete who competed in sprinting events.
The fourth Commonwealth Paraplegic Games were held in Dunedin, New Zealand from 13 to 19 January 1974. The Games were opened by Sir Denis Blundell, Governor-General of New Zealand.
Alexandrea Anacan is a Philippine-born New Zealand karate athlete. A resident of Auckland, Anacan represents New Zealand internationally. She is a four-time consecutive gold medalist in the World Karate Federation Oceanian Karate Federation (OKF), entering competition in 2016. Her achievements include finishing 2nd at the Commonwealth Karate Championships, 5th at the Karate World Games and 3rd place at the World University Games, the largest international multi-sport event other than the Olympics.
