Does anyone still care about the Commonwealth Games?

The Commonwealth games are a complete waste of money and a waste of time for any WORLD class athlete. It is a waste of money for the reason that, I have yet to meet anyone in Scotland that cares about these games at all and I live here. The only money that anyone might make at these games might be the shopkeepers in the stadiums that surround the games. It might sell a few more bags of crisps, cans of coke, newspapers and umbrellas. Can the Gold medal winner in any of the Commonwealth events, on the day, claim to be - a) The champion of the World b) The champion of Europe c) The equivalent of Olympic champion d) None of these. The games are an embarrassment and hark back to the grand old days of the British Empire. The only people who are really jazzed about the games are the English, who might actually have a chance to win something. It is similar to the American World Series of Baseball

1. Total number of African golds in swimming in London 2012 : 3 (2 RSA, 1 TUN) Total number of Australian golds in swimming in London 2012 : 1 I wouldn't be dismissing the african swimmers quite so flippently, were I an aussie. 2. being a republic doesn't exclude you from the Commonwealth - you might have failed to notice, but India is one.

Indeed, I think that's the key to the survival of the Commonwealths. One of the things that worked in London 2012, was the realisation, quite early, that they simply couldn't outspend/outmuscle Beijing. There was instead a far greater use, and even a glorifying in, temporary venues - Horse Guards, Greenwich Maritime, Hyde Park, the Basketball Arena...and the sensible reuse of existing venues; Excell, O2, Wembley and Wimbledon. Even more so, that's the key for keeping the commonwealths alive. Stop trying to always be bigger. Start concentrating on being cleverer, more efficient, cheaper. think of Brazil 2014/Rio 2016 - what madness entered Brazil's head to want to run those megoliths back to back? There are a limited number of countries large enough in the Commonwealth to host any sort of games. These countries should, explicitly, and as a matter of policy, rotate the games, and should deliberately aim at reused and reusable facilities. We can leave a gap every twenty years or so for a New Player (like India. or going forward South Africa or Nigeia) - but realistically Australia and New Zealand; England, Scotland and Wales; Canada and at a stretch Jamaica, India, Malaysia and Singapore; Eventually South Africa and Nigeria. Let them know, well in advance that it will be thier 'turn', and push for tight, efficient games using existing facilities - a festival and a party, not the building of Rome. And yes, if that means in the fullness of time Sydney, Melbourne, or say manchester and toronto host the games several times, using basically the same facilities given a bit of a spruce up, so what? That;s a GOOD thing. I would hope, in an emergancy for 2022, London or Toronto would step in using the exisiting recent olympic, or in toronto's case panamerican, infrustructure - no big building projects, no mad spending - just more brains, less moolah.

The Commonwealth Games are really done. The Canada,s British Isles, New Zealands and Australia,s have hosted these games or will host by 2018 total of 18 times out of the 21 times these have been held. the white commonwealth nations have a baby boomer pension problem with most cities . The frontiers for the games are few if not unimpressed with the colonialist games . A Nigeria now is home to richest man and woman in the entire commonwealth yet that country was turned down for 2014 for a. White nation of 4 million having hosted twice before in the last 44 years.The African and Asian commonwealth nations will just keep sending their athletes for warm ups to the Summer Olympics , All African games and Asian Games while Business men like Aliko Dangote continue on the march to take over the world in their business. Aliko Dangote is the Nigerian industrial magnate that is richer then any Asian , South American , Commonwealth or African Citizen.

JGK - Willie Wood, Scottish legend.......! That and curling, we're tops at those.............

Do they still have lawn bowls at the Comms?

Not one iota. They are as relevant that as the empire that spawned them. Zero relevance.

No. Bring on Australia becoming a republic. It is a complete joke. I could qualify for some of the events from these other nations. There is probably not a single swimming pool the length and breath of Africa yet our 'wonderful' swimmers towel them up in the Commie Games and we never hear the end of it. Those bludgers are on ads selling everything from old cars to prophylactics just because they managed to stay afloat, rather than sink in the 50 yard dash in the pool. I'd rank the Commie Games right up there with the Logies. "And this years winner is Home and Away for best reality show..."

I'd suggest for most major nations or cities they'd be looking at costs and residual worth if its a little more expensive to host a fifa world cup than theres no comparison to a Comm games "international market exposure". I think LX makes valid points do we want to watch weightlifters from Malaysia , Cook Island or Vanuatu. What should probably concern us is that the English are far superior in sport than they were 10 +15 yr ago . Although they still find cities to host, they should also set in stone that only major cities should get involved I.E London or Manchester Sydney or Melbourne possibly Auckland Ottawa or Montreal and so on . C'mon Australia.

Was thinking the same thing. Melbourne or Sydney could host the thing again at the drop of a hat.

They need to bring back the sparkle or glamour. With both Sydney and London hosting the Olympics over the last decade and a half, it could add cred to the Commonwealth Games. These cities both have the benefit for most of the facilities still being used today. In Sydney's case it wouldn't cost much to host events in existing stadia. The Gymnastic could be held at Acer Arena, The atheltic could be held at the Olympic stadium with some minor alterations compared to building a new studium, The Rowing will be out at the Penrith Lakes, Cycling at Bankstown, Tennis at Homebush, Badminton, Boxing & weightlifting could be held in the halls in the showgrounds at Hombush, The Triathalon on the harbour and in the city ala like the Olympics. Swimming can be back at the Olympic aquatics centre in Homebush. Yes, it would cost money to laid a new track at ANZ, extend the capacity at the Aquatic and cycling centres but the rest is pretty much already done. Instead of spending X amount of millions on facilities it would cost a fraction of the cost. In saying that I would love to see a commonwealth games in Singapore, the city is modern, cutting edge and is trying to get main events into Singapore like F1.

I think it's done. Melbourne 2006 felt like a last hurrah of sorts as far as the event being "major". Glasgow 2014 will pass us by without much fuss and the fact that Gold Coast have been awarded the 2018 event shows how small-fry it has become. I remember when Victoria '94 and Kuala Lumpur '98 felt like massive events to rival the Olympic Games, and achievement in the Commonwealth Games (unfairly and quite ridiculously) overshadowed our achievements in Swimming, Cycling and Athletic World Championships. And we were supposed to be excited about Australia scoring 80-odd Gold Medals when all the other sporting superpowers (Russia, USA, China, Japan, France, Germany, Spain) are nowhere to be seen? it's hard to do so these days. Are we supposed to get excited about a breakaway in the women's road race featuring riders from Lesotho, Scotland and Guyana? The Commonwealth games at least gave non-Olympic entities Wales, Scotland, Guernsey a chance to compete outside of the banner of Great Britain, and it at least gave some sports such as Squash and Lawn Bowls some publicity that it would never normally receive.