Sports in the Games
In the first Commonwealth Games in Hamilton in 1930 there were six sports: Athletics, Aquatics (Swimming & Diving), Boxing, Lawn Bowls, Rowing, and Wrestling.
Since then the sports programme has grown significantly and can now include up to 17 sports. The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) regulates the list of sports that can be included in the Commonwealth Games.
Each host city must include a minimum of ten core sports on their programme:
- Aquatics - Swimming
- Athletics
- Badminton
- Boxing (Men)
- Hockey
- Lawn Bowls
- Netball (Women)
- Rugby 7s (Men)
- Squash
- Weightlifting
They can then include up to an additional seven sports from a list of 16 optional sports (including as many of a sport’s disciplines as preferred) with a maximum of four team sports on their programme:
- Archery
- Aquatics - Diving, Synchronised Swimming
- Basketball
- Canoeing
- Cycling – Track, Road, Mountain Bike
- Gymnastics - Artistic, Rhythmic
- Judo
- Rowing
- Sailing
- Shooting - Clay Target, Pistol, Smallbore, Fullbore,
- Softball
- Table Tennis
- Taekwondo
- Tennis
- Tenpin Bowling
- Triathlon
- Wrestling
The CGF and International Paralympic Committee have also established a list of four core Para-Sports for elite athletes with a disability, which host cities must include namely:
- Athletics
- Lawn Bowls
- Powerlifting
- Swimming
They can then include events from up to three optional Para-Sports but not exceeding 15 events, which must be fully integrated into the overall sports programme.
- Cycling (Track)
- Table Tennis
- Wheelchair Basketball
Regulation 6 of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) Constitution outlines the factors and criteria considered by the CGF’s Sports Committee and Executive Board for new sports in the programme of the Commonwealth Games. This list is reviewed once every four years at the CGF’s General Assembly the year following the Commonwealth Games. It was recently reviewed in November 2011.
The sports included in the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games have already been selected, although specific events may be influenced by the outcome of the 2011 Sports Review with a decision pending March 2012. Details of the Glasgow 2014 sports can be found in the sub-section of this website.
Sports in the Commonwealth Youth Games
The Commonwealth Youth Games programme must consist of a minimum of six and a maximum of eight sports, with no more than two team sports, selected by the host city. Athletics and Swimming (long or short course) are compulsory and the other sports must be chosen from those classed as either core or optional by the CGF. See the Youth Games section for details.