Editing Commonwealth Games (section)

== Controversies ==

=== Host city contract ===

The [[1934 British Empire Games]], originally awarded in 1930 to [[Johannesburg]], were moved to London after South Africa's pre-[[apartheid]] government refused to allow participants of colour.<ref name="Gorman2012">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=b5DlxTDEIaYC&pg=PA170|title=The Emergence of International Society in the 1920s|last=Gorman|first=Daniel|date=31 July 2012|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=9781107021136|page=170|access-date=27 May 2013}}</ref>

The [[2022 Commonwealth Games]] were originally awarded to [[Durban]] on 2 September 2015, at the [[Commonwealth Games Federation|CGF]] General Assembly in [[Auckland]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/commonwealth-games/34125467|title=Commonwealth Games: Durban confirmed as 2022 host city|date=2 September 2015|work=BBC Sport|access-date=5 February 2018|language=en-GB|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180804195951/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/commonwealth-games/34125467|archive-date=4 August 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> It was reported in February 2017 that Durban may be unable to host the games due to financial constraints. On 13 March 2017, the CGF stripped Durban of their rights to host and reopened the bidding process for the 2022 games.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/commonwealth-games/39256432|title=Commonwealth Games: Durban, South Africa will not host Games in 2022|date=13 March 2017|work=BBC Sport|access-date=5 February 2018|language=en-GB|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180204162108/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/commonwealth-games/39256432|archive-date=4 February 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Many cities from Australia, Canada, England and Malaysia expressed interest to host the games. However, the CGF received only one official bid and that was from [[Birmingham]], England.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/41455347|title=Commonwealth Games 2022: Birmingham only bidder for event|date=30 September 2017|work=BBC Sport|access-date=5 February 2018|language=en-GB|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180201195548/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/41455347|archive-date=1 February 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> On 21 December 2017, [[Birmingham]] was awarded for the 2022 Games as Durban's replacement host.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/dec/21/birmingham-named-2022-commonwealth-games-host-city|title=Birmingham officially named as 2022 Commonwealth Games host city|last=Kelner|first=Martha|date=21 December 2017|website=The Guardian|language=en|access-date=5 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180205184516/https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/dec/21/birmingham-named-2022-commonwealth-games-host-city|archive-date=5 February 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

The state of [[Victoria (state)|Victoria]], Australia was selected to host the [[2026 Commonwealth Games]]. On 18 July 2023, the Premier of Victoria [[Daniel Andrews|Dan Andrews]] announced the cancellation of the event in Victoria. Premier Andrews cited a significant increase in forecast cost for the reason suggesting the initial estimate of [[Australian dollar|A$]]2.6 billion was likely to be closer to A$6–7 billion.<ref>{{Cite news|date=18 July 2023|title=Commonwealth Games: 2026 event in doubt after Victoria cancels|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-66229574|access-date=6 August 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Pender|first=Kieran|date=18 July 2023|title=Does Victoria's 2026 cancellation sound Commonwealth Games death knell?|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/jul/18/commonwealth-games-2026-cancellation-will-it-return-victoria|access-date=6 August 2023|issn=0261-3077}}</ref> On 18 July 2023, the [[Victorian state government]] announced it had cancelled its plans to host the games, citing an escalation in its cost projections relative to initial estimations. With no host city, there was a possibility that the games would be postponed to 2027 or cancelled.<ref name=":7">{{Cite news|date=17 July 2023|title=Commonwealth Games: 2026 event in doubt after Victoria cancels|language=en-UK|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-66229574|access-date=17 July 2023}}</ref><ref name=":8">{{Cite web|title=Commonwealth Games Costs Too High At Over $6 Billion {{!}} Premier of Victoria|url=http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/commonwealth-games-costs-too-high-over-6-billion|access-date=18 July 2023|website=www.premier.vic.gov.au|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":CancelledGuardian">{{Cite news|first1=Paul|last1=Karp|first2=Cait|last2=Kelly|first3=Adeshola|last3=Ore|url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jul/18/australia-commonwealth-games-2026-victoria-cancels-event-after-funding-shortfall|title =Australia Commonwealth Games 2026: Victoria cancels event after costs blow out to $7bn|newspaper=The Guardian|date=18 July 2023|access-date=17 July 2023}}</ref> However, on 17 September 2024, it was announced that the Scottish Government had agreed to host the 2026 games in [[2026 Commonwealth Games|Glasgow]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce8ddeeklxko | title=Scotland agrees to host Commonwealth Games in 2026 | date=17 September 2024 }}</ref>

=== Boycotts ===

Much like the [[Olympic Games]], the Commonwealth Games have also experienced boycotts:

[[Nigeria]] boycotted the [[1978 Commonwealth Games]] at [[Edmonton]] in protest of New Zealand's sporting contacts with [[apartheid]]-era South Africa. [[Uganda]] also stayed away, in protest of alleged Canadian hostility towards the government of [[Idi Amin]].<ref name="MacintoshHawes1994"/><ref name="Edmonton">{{Cite web|url=http://www.thecgf.com/games/intro.asp?yr=1978|title=Commonwealth Games Federation – 1978 Commonwealth Games – Introduction|website=thecgf.com|access-date=6 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170414194244/http://thecgf.com/games/intro.asp?yr=1978|archive-date=14 April 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[File:1986 Commonwealth Games (Edinburgh) boycotting countries (red).png|thumb|upright=1.35|Countries that boycotted the 1986 Games are shaded red|alt=|300x300px]]

During the [[1986 Commonwealth Games]] at [[Edinburgh]], a majority of the Commonwealth nations staged a boycott, so that the Games appeared to be a whites-only event. Thirty two of the eligible fifty nine countries—largely African, Asian and Caribbean states—stayed away because of the [[Margaret Thatcher|Thatcher]] government's policy of keeping Britain's sporting links with [[apartheid South Africa]] in preference to participating in the general sporting boycott of that country. Consequently, Edinburgh 1986 witnessed the lowest number of athletes since Auckland 1950.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.insidethegames.biz/commonwealth-games/2014/16048-scottish-independence-referendum-will-increase-interest-in-glasgow-2014-it-is-claimed|title=Scottish independence referendum will increase interest in Glasgow 2014, it is claimed &#124; Glasgow 2014|date=29 February 2012|publisher=insidethegames.biz|access-date=9 August 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120811024929/http://insidethegames.biz/commonwealth-games/2014/16048-scottish-independence-referendum-will-increase-interest-in-glasgow-2014-it-is-claimed|archive-date=11 August 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> The boycotting nations were [[Antigua and Barbuda]], [[Barbados]], [[The Bahamas|Bahamas]], [[Bangladesh]], [[Bermuda]], [[Belize]], [[Cyprus]], [[Dominica]], [[The Gambia|Gambia]], [[Ghana]], [[Guyana]], [[Grenada]], [[India]], [[Jamaica]], [[Kenya]], [[Malaysia]], [[Nigeria]], [[Pakistan]], [[Papua New Guinea]], [[Solomon Islands]], [[Sri Lanka]], [[Saint Vincent and the Grenadines|St. Vincent and the Grenadines]], [[Sierra Leone]], [[Saint Kitts and Nevis|St. Kitts and Nevis]], [[Saint Lucia|St. Lucia]], [[Mauritius]], [[Trinidad and Tobago]], [[Tanzania]], [[Turks and Caicos Islands]], [[Uganda]], [[Zambia]] and [[Zimbabwe]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-07-20-mn-17233-story.html|title=8 More Nations Join Boycott of Commonwealth Games; Total Now 23|agency=Reuters|date=20 July 1986|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=23 August 2017|language=en-US|issn=0458-3035|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170221010750/http://articles.latimes.com/1986-07-20/news/mn-17233_1_commonwealth-games|archive-date=21 February 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Bermuda was a particularly late withdrawal, as its athletes appeared in the opening ceremony and in the opening day of competition before the Bermuda Olympic Association decided to formally withdraw.<ref>{{cite news|last=Fraser|first=Graham|date=25 April 2014|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/commonwealth-games/27165110|title=Glasgow 2014: The Bermuda boycott of 1986 that still hurts|work=BBC Sport|access-date=2 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141111114123/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/commonwealth-games/27165110|archive-date=11 November 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Protests===

The [[1982 Commonwealth Games]] in [[Brisbane]] took place amid mass protests for [[Australian Aboriginal]] rights. The controversial [[Joh Bjelke-Petersen]] state government had been repeatedly been challenged by the [[Queensland Council for Civil Liberties]] over the restrictions it placed on freedom of speech, freedom of association and freedom to protest. The [[Government of Queensland]] did not recognise Aboriginal land rights. Queensland also placed severe legal restrictions on Aboriginal people through the "Aboriginal Act 1971".

Aboriginal activists including [[Gary Foley]] planned mass demonstrations in [[Brisbane]] during the week of the games, dubbed the "Stolenwealth Games". In response, Queensland passed "The Commonwealth Games Act 1982" to restrict protests in or near the event. When Aboriginal activists and their supporters marched anyway, hundreds were arrested. The protests were recorded in the documentary "Guniwaya Ngigu".

Further "Stolenwealth Games" protests took place during the [[2006 Commonwealth Games]] in [[Melbourne]] and [[2018 Commonwealth Games]] on the [[Gold Coast, Queensland|Gold Coast]].<ref>{{cite news|last= Latimore|first= Jack|date= 9 April 2018|title='The fight never left': Stolenwealth Games protesters draw on long tradition|url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/apr/09/the-fight-never-left-stolenwealth-games-protesters-draw-on-long-tradition|work= Guardian, The|location=|access-date=18 September 2023}}</ref>