Rhodesia was an unrecognised state in southern Africa from 1965 to 1979, equivalent in territory to modern Zimbabwe. Rhodesia was the de facto successor state to the British colony of Southern Rhodesia, which had been self-governing since achieving responsible government in 1923. A landlocked nation, Rhodesia was bordered by South Africa to the south, Bechuanaland to the southwest, Zambia to the northwest, and Mozambique to the east.
The Commonwealth Games is an international multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930, and, with the exception of 1942 and 1946, has taken place every four years since then. The Commonwealth Games were known as 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 also included as full members of their national teams, making the Commonwealth Games the first fully inclusive international multi-sport event. It is also the world's first multi-sport event which inducts equal number of women’s and men’s medal events and was implemented recently in the 2018 Commonwealth Games. With such unique features, the World Economic Forum called the event inspiring and significant.
Zimbabwe Rhodesia was an unrecognised state that existed from 1 June 1979 to 11 December 1979. Zimbabwe Rhodesia was preceded by an unrecognised republic named Rhodesia and was briefly followed by the re-established British colony of Southern Rhodesia, which according to British constitutional theory had remained the proper government after Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) in 1965. About three months later, the re-established colony of Southern Rhodesia was granted internationally recognised independence within the Commonwealth as the Republic of Zimbabwe.
The Lancaster House Agreement, signed on 21 December 1979, declared a ceasefire, ending the Rhodesian Bush War; and directly led to the creation and recognition of the Republic of Zimbabwe. It required the imposition of direct British rule, nullifying Rhodesia’s 1965 Unilateral Declaration of Independence. British governance would be strictly proscribed to the duration of a proposed election period; after which independence would follow. Crucially, the political wings of the black nationalist groups ZANU and ZAPU, who had been waging the escalating, and increasingly violent insurgency, would be permitted to stand candidates in the forthcoming elections. This was however conditional to compliance with the ceasefire and the verified absence of voter intimidation.
This page shows the all-time medal table for the Commonwealth Games. The table is updated as of 15 April 2018, the day the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast ended. These rankings sort by the number of gold medals earned by a country. The number of silvers is taken into consideration next and then the number of bronze. If, after the above, countries are still tied, equal ranking is given and they are listed alphabetically. This follows the system used by the IOC, IAAF and BBC. The source for this data are the tallies listed at the Commonwealth Games Federation's website.
Zimbabwe competed at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, United States. This was the fifth time that Zimbabwe had competed at an Olympic Games with the first three as Rhodesia. 15 competitors, 12 men and 3 women, took part in 18 events in 5 sports.
Southern Rhodesia competed at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam, Netherlands. This was the first time the country had participated in the Olympic Games. It was one of two British Crown colonies who were allowed, by the International Olympic Committee, to compete as independent nations at the Games. Rhodesia was represented by two boxers; neither were able to reach the medal rounds of their respective tournaments.
This article is an introduction to the history of first-class cricket in Zimbabwe, formerly Rhodesia and Southern Rhodesia. The timespan of the article is from the formation of a first-class Rhodesian team in August 1890 until the inaugural Test appearance of Zimbabwe in October 1992.
Zimbabwe participated for the first time at the Olympic Games under its current name in 1980, and has sent athletes to compete in every Summer Olympic Games since then. Previously, it competed at the Games under the name Rhodesia in 1928, 1960 and 1964. The 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi marked Zimbabwe's first participation at the Winter Olympic Games, with Luke Steyn, the Zimbabwean born athlete participating in alpine skiing.
Sport in Zimbabwe has a long tradition and has produced many world recognized sports names and personalities. Football is the most popular sport, although rugby union, cricket and netball also have a following, traditionally among the white minority. Field hockey is also played widely. Although Zimbabwe has produced many athletes that have competed for Zimbabwe, there are also many athletes who learned their sport in Zimbabwe, but have chosen to represent other countries.
Zambia have competed in fourteen Commonwealth Games, though the first appearance was in 1954 as Northern Rhodesia. Northern Rhodesia competed as part of Rhodesia and Nyasaland in 1962.
Zimbabwe was represented at the 2002 Commonwealth Games, but did not take part in 2006 after withdrawing from the Commonwealth.
Zimbabwe and the Commonwealth of Nations have had a controversial and stormy diplomatic relationship. Zimbabwe is a former member of the Commonwealth, having withdrawn in 2003, and the issue of Zimbabwe has repeatedly taken centre stage in the Commonwealth, both since Zimbabwe's independence and as part of the British Empire.
Zimbabwe has been competing at the Paralympic Games since the country became independent in 1980; it had previously competed as Rhodesia. Zimbabwe was absent from the Games in 1988 and 1992, returning in 1996 with a two-man delegation, and has competed at every edition of the Summer Paralympics since then. It has never taken part in the Winter Paralympics.
Rhodesia was one of the participants at the inaugural Paralympic Games in 1960 in Rome, where one of its two representatives was Margaret Harriman, in swimming and archery. The country took part in every edition of the Summer Paralympics until 1972. Although Rhodesia was barred from all Olympics from 1968 until its disestablishment in 1979 after its 1965 Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom, it was allowed to participate in the 1968 Tel Aviv and 1972 Heidelberg games because politicians, both from Britain and the host nations of the games, were unwilling to sanction athletes with disabilities. However, the Canadian government refused to grant visas for the Rhodesian Paralympic team to attend the 1976 Toronto Paralympics.
Southern Rhodesia first participated as Rhodesia in the Olympic Games in 1928, when it sent two boxers to Amsterdam, both of whom were eliminated in their second bout. The dominion did not appear at the Games under a Rhodesian banner until 1960, when it sent a fourteen-athlete delegation as part of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. In Rome, two sailors, Alan David Butler and Christopher Bevan, finished fourth, which was Rhodesia's best result until it became Zimbabwe in 1980. Southern Rhodesia sent 29 competitors, including a field hockey team, to the 1964 Summer Games, which was its last Olympic appearance under the Rhodesian banner.
Miss Rhodesia, also known as Miss Coca-Cola Rhodesia, was the national beauty pageant of Rhodesia and its antecedents. It debuted in Miss World in 1959, but was not allowed to participate after 1965, when Rhodesia declared independence from the United Kingdom under a white minority government. In 1980, when Rhodesia transitioned to a majority democracy and became Zimbabwe, Miss Rhodesia was renamed Miss Zimbabwe.
Margaritha Constantia "Mariette" Van Heerden is a Zimbabwean former discus thrower and shot puter. Van Heerden was born in Southern Rhodesia but grew up in South Africa and was the holder of South African records in shot put and discus throw as well as a multiple South African champion in both these events. She was awarded Springbok colours during the years of the international sports boycott of South Africa.
David I Westerhout is a former athlete who competed for England and a shooter who competed for Zimbabwe.
United Kingdom-Zimbabwe relations are the bilateral relations between the United Kingdom and Zimbabwe. The United Kingdom maintains an Embassy in Harare and Zimbabwe has an Embassy in London.
