
- Moderator
- #326
Honest question - what is bad about the Commonwealth Games?
Nothing.
As I've said previously, not all games events have to be the size of the Olympics to be relevant or valid. The Commonwealth Games include athletes from 71 nations and territories, comprising approximately one third of the world’s population.
Other groups of countries united by historical, cultural or language similarities run their own multi-sport games.
For example:
- Francophone Games for French-speaking nations and communities. (56 member nations) - based on the old French Empire.
- Lusophony Games for Portuguese-speaking nations and communities. (12 member nations)
- Pan Arab games, first held first in 1953, for Arabic-speaking nations.
- Islamic Solidarity Games first held in 2005, for all member states of the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation (57 member nations)
- Bolivarian games began in 1938, for countries liberated by Simon Bolivar (7 member nations)
- Games of the Small States of Europe
- Island Games for teams from several islands and other small territories (27 participants)
- Maccabiah Games for Jewish athletes worldwide
- African Games
- Baltic Sea Games
- Pan American Games
- Central American and Caribbean Games
- Central American Games
- South American Games
- Asian Games
- South-East Asian Games
- East Asian Games
- West Asian Games
- Central Asian Games
- South Asian Games
- European Games
- Mediterranean Games
- Pacific Games
- Indian Ocean Island Games
Many regard the Commonwealth Games as a gateway to podium performances at the Olympic Games. Athletes are able to assess how they are they are progressing midway through the four year cycle of preparation for the Olympics while also comparing how they measure up to some of their main Olympic competitors (in the Commonwealth) during a large international sporting event.