Did you know?.... facts about the Commonwealth Games The Commonwealth Games is a unique, world class event which is held once every four years. Its often referred to as the ‘Friendly Games’. The Commonwealth is made up by 53 member countries. More than two billion citizens live in the commonwealth and in 2009 447,043 of those people lived in the Highlands and Islands. On the second Monday in March every year, an annual celebration for the Commonwealth is held to mark the Commonwealth’s achievements. Scotland has previously hosted the Commonwealth Games twice, in 1970 and 1986, both in Edinburgh. Thirty-one of the commonwealth members have a population size of 1.5million people or less. HM Queen Elizabeth II is the Queen of 16 of the 53 Commonwealth member countries. More than two billion citizens, over half of whom are 25 years of age or less, and a quarter are under 5 years old. The Glasgow Commonwealth £5million young persons found will provide 2,500 young people with work experience. The Queen’s Baton will travel around the Commonwealth for 288 days covering more than 118,000 miles. Find out here when will it be in a town near you. The 2014 Games will highlight the importance of teamwork and collaboration within and between Commonwealth countries. At the 2014 Games there will be 6,500 athletes from 71 nations competing in 17 sports over 11 days. In the original Commonwealth Games, only 400 athletes from 11 countries took part. At the 2014 Games five sports will run 22 Para-Sport medal events, the highest number of events to date. The first Commonwealth Games were held in Canada in 1930. Scotland sit seventh on the all-time Commonwealth Games medals table with 92 gold, 104 silver and 160 bronze medals. When the Queen dies or if she abdicates, her heir will not automatically become Head of the Commonwealth. Did you know that the Commonwealth Games are made up of 10 core sports and then the other 7 can be selected by the host? In September 2015 the Youth Commonwealth Games will be held in Samoa. Over 250,000 pupils are benefiting from ‘Game On Scotland’ the official education programme for the XX Commonwealth Games. 31 Commonwealth members are considered small states, many of them are island nations. Find out more here. The next Commonwealth Games will be held in the Gold Coast, Australia in 2018. A key aim of the Commonwealth Games is to advance development and peace through sport: bit.ly/1niR9XD £780,000 worth of loans have been distributed to 370 young entrepreneurs through the work of the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth observed 60% of elections held by member states between 2011-13, helping strengthen democratic processes. E-health helps Commonwealth citizens maintain healthy lives. Find out how here our region is world leading. Between 2011-13 the Commonwealth helped 70% of members strengthen their legal systems. Rwanda became the newest Commonwealth member when it joined in 2009. The Commonwealth helps 1/4 of members harness natural resources. Find out here how natural resources are harnessed in your area. Scotland’s most successful Commonwealth athlete is Alister Allan, with 3 Gold, 3 Silver and 4 Bronze medals 50,811 people put their names forward to volunteer at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. The Royal Commonwealth Pool in Edinburgh will feature in its 3rd Games having been involved in 1970 and 1986. Hampden Parks surface has been raised by 1.9 meters, to create an IAAF-standard athletics arena for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. The Commonwealth Marathon will cover an iconic route through the Merchant City, George Square & Buchanan Street. The Commonwealth Games Athletes’ Village Hair Salon will be operated by West College Scotland students who will provide hair-styling and make-up services. The 250-metre track at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome was created by one of the world’s foremost track designers, Ralph Schuermann The Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, located in the Emirates Arena, has been described as ‘one of the busiest in the world’, with the venue welcoming a 350,000 attendance in its first year. Athletes are expected to eat 500,000 pieces of fruit and 60 tonnes of potatoes during the Commonwealth Games. The Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome track was created by one of the world’s foremost track designers, Ralph Schuermann. The largest ever LED screen in Europe will used as a ‘Window into the #Commonwealth’ during the Opening Ceremony. The Queen’s Baton Relay will cover 190,000km, the equivalent of going around the Earth’s surface almost 4.25 times. Judo was last at the Commonwealth Games in 2002 in Manchester meaning a gap of 12 years before it returns at Glasgow 2014. Glasgow 2014 will play host to the first Para-Sport Cycling (Track) events in Commonwealth Games history. Commonwealth Games history was made when the QBR arrived in Rwanda for the first time ever in January 2014. Glasgow won the right to host the 2014 #CommonwealthGames on 9 November 2007. Glasgow2014 sporting venues will be used by elite athletes and local people, making them world-class and community relevant. The Commonwealth Games Athletes’ Village is 35 hectares in size, the equivalent of 54 football pitches! 840 shuttlecocks will be used across the Commonwealth Badminton competition as the players battle it out for the Gold medal. 3000 balls will be used across six sports during the Commonwealth Games. The Queens Baton Relay was honoured with a national holiday when it arrived on the island nation of Nauru. Tom Daley is the youngest Official Ambassador for the Glasgow2014 Commonwealth Games. The Royal Mint has released an official #Glasgow2014 50p coin, as a lasting reminder of the Commonwealth Games. The first Commonwealth Youth Games were held in Edinburgh, Scotland in August 2000. The Glasgow 2014 logo is an original piece of art work that is rooted in sport: time, data and measurement. Scottish designer Kerry Nixon designed the dress to be worn by female Medal Bearers at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. When the Queens Baton Relay arrives back to Scotland in the final 40 days before the Games, 4,000 special people will be baton bearers. Look out for the Commonwealth Games countdown above the destination board at Glasgow Central station. The first Queens Baton Relay was staged for the 1958 Commonwealth Games in Cardiff. Australia leads the way with a staggering 803 Gold medals, the only nation with over 2,000 medals. In his first year alone, Clyde, Glasgow 2014s Official Mascot, visited over 600,000 people in Scotland! If you have any quirky or interesting facts about the Games, why not tweet them using #HIE2014Events.
Posted on: Fri, 25 Jul 2014 12:17:46 +0000