Wednesday, April 4, 2018. Gold Coast, Australia. After a heavy downpour at Carrara Stadium, 35,000 crowd and 1.5 billion people from all over the world witnessed opening ceremony of the XXI Commonwealth games.
Before the games start, team TutorVersal is excited to give you a brief history of Commonwealth games, the opening ceremony information, and the Migaloo medal in just 5 quick pointers in THE STORY SO FAR…
So, shall we?
1) Also known as the ‘Friendly Games’, what we know of today as Commonwealth Games, its forerunner, Inter-Empire Championship took place in 1911 where the sporting teams from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the United Kingdom participated.
2) In 1930, the first British Empire Games were held in Hamilton, Canada where different nations across the British Empire participated in seven sports: athletics, diving, boxing, rowing, lawn bowls, wrestling, and swimming.
3) This year in GC2018, more than 4000 athletes from 71 different countries will be participating in the Festival 2018 extravaganza.
4) How can a sportsperson be more proud than leading his team in the Opening Ceremony Parade of Nations? At the GC2018 opening ceremony, 39 males and 32 females shared this honor. Out of 71 flag bearers, 24 are competing in Athletics, making it the most-represented sport this year.
5) The GC18 commemorative medal has a white whale engraved on it. Migaloo Yalingbilla (or the humpback whale) has been used in the medal’s design by Queensland-based artist, Delvene Cockatoo-Collins to let the world know that the ‘Australian culture is ALIVE’!
In the journey of more than a century, the Commonwealth Games has grown, evolved and prospered.
Promotion and success of this thrilling event go to everyone supporting this century-long ritual.
6) Last but not the least, the motto of this year’s Commonwealth games – Share the dream and the mascot – Barobi.
Isn’t he adorable!
With this enthusiasm, let us all declare the XXI Commonwealth Games 2018 – OPEN!
