Before we start I have a question for you. Where and when are the Commonwealth Games held this year?
If you were able to answer Glasgow, Scotland and the dates of 23 July-3 August, then you are certainly in the minority as most people I have spoken to haven’t got a clue.
In the 80s and 90s, the Commonwealth Games was the opportunity for us to demolish every other Commonwealth sporting nation in any sport we tried our hand at.
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We will never forget the memories of Robert De Castella winning the marathon at the 1982 Brisbane Games in exhausting conditions, Robbie Perella putting lawn bowls on the map at the 1990 Auckland Games, or the thrilling Australia versus New Zealand netball final from the 2002 Manchester Games.
Our swimming team was the pinnacle of our Commonwealth Games domination. It was easier to count what we wouldn’t win than what we would.
Swimmers like Susie O’Neill, Samantha Reilly, Kieran Perkins and Grant Hackett dominated the games, the headlines and milk commercials for years to come. I remember cheering home Kerryn McCann over the last 10 kilometres of possibly the greatest ever marathon race ever, at the 2006 Melbourne Games
Even before my time the feats by Australians at the Empire Games and then the Commonwealth Games are almost folklore. Bannister versus Landy at the 1954 Vancouver Games, Dawn Fraser winning six golds during her reign of the pool, and the feats of Shirley Strickland and Betty Cuthbert tearing up the track in the sprinting events were stories told by my father’s father, and my father to me.
Stories and tales or other performances that held together a nation during times of war, heartache and despair.
Yet in just over a month, a fresh crop of Australia’s finest will be taking on the Commonwealth’s best in 17 sports over 10 days of competition. However, from what you see in the newspapers, television and social media, you wouldn’t even know that they were on.
Besides the odd article on the uniform the athletes will be wearing to the Games (another gold medal fashion disaster), there has been no build-up whatsoever.
With the FIFA World Cup in Brazil taking all of the headlines over the last two weeks, I can’t see how the nation is going to get excited for the competition ahead. There will be some interest once they begin but it will never reach the heights like it did 10, 20 or even 50 years ago.
The Olympics little cousin is the stepping stone for many athletes. For the athletes and families involved, it may be the biggest moment in their lives. But for the rest of us does the Commonwealth Games still hold a special part in our sporting calendar, or is it a shadow of its former self? I tend to think the latter.
Devo
Guest
The Commonwealth Games.... groan.. what a waste of time and money. A pointless competition - what do we learn from it? Nothing. Oh congratulations Australia on all your gold medals...... that basically mean nothing because the Americans, Chinese, Germans, Dutch etc aren't there. Who cares if it's good for the athletes??? Athletes compete at world championships anyhow, and honestly, athletes in this country get far too much support and free money. If I'm meant to feel good that my taxes go towards getting some little diva a chance to swim in a pointless race, rather than my money go to somewhere useful like child protection, housing, science research, education etc then this country has it's priorities wrong, and so does the Commonwealth. People who think the Comm Games has any relevance in society need to step back in their time machine and return to 1950. I really hope the day comes soon when they announce there's no more Comm Games... BAN IT. END IT. WHATEVER. JUST GET RID OF IT.
Nick
Guest
And does anyone know when or where those are taking place?
Nick
Guest
The CWG were badly damaged by Delhi in 2010, but Manchester 2002 was a huge success played out in front of capacity crowds which played a significant part in London getting the Olympics. Melbourne in 2006 was also well regarded, while Glasgow is pretty much sold out and is also expected to be successful provided the Scottish weather is kind. It's worth noting that countries like Oz, England and India are all sending record sized teams to an away games so they all seem to think the CWG still have a value. The Games are still an important stepping stone to the Olympics as they provide the opportunity for athletes to experience a big multi-sport event for the first time in a less pressurised environment. It's true in some sports the standards are not great by world standards, eg. wrestling, judo but in most there are world-class performers and teams. I guess it comes down to whether you enjoy watching sport for the sport itself or whether your interest is solely how many medals your country wins! I kind of get the impression that the dismissive attitude of some Aussies is down to concern that an era of domination is coming to an end.
Lachlan Doyle
Roar Pro
Call me crazy but I prefer the Commonwealth games to the Olympics. It never gets boring watching Australia dominate in sports.
TheBlackCat1859
Guest
I hear more about the Commonwealth Games than any of those other regional meets. Scrap them too then?
TheBlackCat1859
Guest
You can't 'win' the Commonwealth Games.
Chop
Roar Guru
Yes. Easy as that.
clipper
Guest
Not just Wales and Scotland, but Northern Island, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man
Johnno
Guest
The athletics and field hockey,netball, are good at the com games, the rest is very boring. Australia dominate in the pool too easily, although Eng,Canada,South Africa,NZ have caught up in the pool. But in the pool it's only those 5 that have a chance, but OZ still dominates too much in the pool. rugby league's gonna be good at the com games, they used to have ODI cricket, not sure if T20 is in the com games. The com games remind me a bit of the old goodwill games that have stopped, hard to get excited about anymore.
Christopher Pepper
Roar Pro
With Wimbledon and the Tour de France starting I can't see much traction for the event. Will be a struggle to compete with these two annual marque events.
josh
Roar Rookie
Interest in the Commonwealth usually peaks when it starts. For the record we still dominate, We have won every games since 1990. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia_at_the_Commonwealth_Games England lose because Wales and Scotland compete as separate countries, instead of Great Britain at the Olympics.
Luke
Guest
A couple of points on this one; Firstly, you can't really expect Comm Game anticipation to be soaring at this stage. We aren't even finished with the group stages of the World Cup yet. With Australia having played our last match the build up will start soon, but this is always a year jammed with major events. Probably best to wait until it gets some clean air before we make a final judgement. Secondly, how much is this just a lack of Australian excitement? We haven't gotten our 1 squillion golds at the last few. The Comm games used to be a massive ego boost but can an Australian audience stomach watching England win gold by the truckload? Thirdly, it is impossible to overestimate the impact the disaster of the Delhi games had on the Commonwealth Games brand. It was possibly the worst organised major sporting event I have ever seen. People still haven't been paid. I think this will lead to a cautious build up until people get there and see if it is well organised. Australia does not compete in the major regional multi-sport events in any significant way, so there will always be value to our athletes in competing in the Comm Games for the experience. We just need to come to terms with not winning every event. It is an interesting point about the host cities. The current problem is the games are expensive,and the bigger the city the more significant the planning challenges in a world hellbent on austerity. But I agree with Gurudoright, having recently held Olympics Sydney and London should be putting themselves forward. Also Toronto has Olympic ambitions and are hosting the Pan Am games next year so they should also put their hand up.
LewieC
Guest
It's drawing a long bow to say that the cities hosting it determines the esteem the competition is held in. The gap between Australia, England then the rest is the problem, as others touched on. Also Melbourne hosted in 2006, and many would argue it's one of the greatest cities in the world, certainly from a sporting standpoint anyway.
Gurudoright
Guest
I think since athletes have become professional the gap has really widen between Australia & England and then the rest. It use to be good enough to top the medal count but now unless Australia win gazillion gold medals nobody cares or the team is considered a dud. People have argued that they should stop the commonwealth games , I disagree, they are a fantastic competition meet that give our athletes experience against international competitors. I admit they need to sexy the whole thing up. I mean look at the last few, Manchester, Delhi, Glasgow, Gold Coast (2018). No wonder people aren't excited. Sydney and London have both hosted the Olympics in the last 15 years. Both would have the majority of the facilities in place, maybe not to the Olympic capacity but you don't need it to be. They are sexy world cities. Singapore just built a 55000 seat stadium, it has a thriving economy with Endless construction, it could host an 'exciting' games. While the commonwealth games goes for host like Glasgow, Gold Coast and probably in Sri Lanka in 2022 by the lack of candidates, people won't hold the games in high esteem
Kevin Dustby
Roar Rookie
plenty of other games out there, the Asian games, the Pacific games, the African games, world championships etc. the commonwealth games are a relic of our colonial past. I am pretty sure Tony Abbott will be watching with great interest