Commonwealth Games: a relic and reminder of a bygone era

With few cities willing or able to play, the organising body is offering the 2026 Commonwealth Games to Melbourne on a plate.

The 2026 Commonwealth Games has apparently become that rarest of international events: no one wants them.

The Commonwealth Games Federation has approached the Victorian government to offer them on a plate. The desperation is fairly transparent: the offer is completely open to Melbourne to accept, with no other interested cities in sight, and would allow existing facilities to be used and for events to be spread across regional centres.

Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp thinks it “just makes sense”, given existing infrastructure could be used. But the public reaction is mixed.

Have the Games outlived their use-by date? Is it time they should be consigned to the basket of history?

The argument for ditching

Although the Commonwealth of Nations represented in the Games refers broadly to nations with historic ties to Britain, many of the roughly 70 countries who compete are completely independent from the UK.

There’s no question that the Games have changed dramatically since their inception in 1930 when they were named the “British Empire Games”. World War II among other points in the past 90 years reduced the Commonwealth from an influential and relevant political body to a relic of a collapsed empire. And the scars of colonialism in many of the nations bring a strange energy to the Games where both the former coloniser and the formerly colonised are brought together in a show of global unity.

Many may still enjoy the Games but their significance has waned considerably in the past few decades. The Brisbane 1982 Commonwealth Games brought global attention to the city for the first time. Even those in Melbourne in 2006 were considered a global success and a huge popularity boost for then lord mayor John So.

No such claim could be made for the 2018 Gold Coast Games which, while well organised and received, served mostly as a launching pad for the Brisbane 2032 Summer Olympics.

Their relevance from a sporting perspective is also tenuous owing to the lack of competition from many of the most successful sporting nations, namely the United States, China, Japan and Russia. Unlike world championships or the Olympics, a medal at the Commonwealth Games doesn’t say a whole lot about achievement on a global scale.

There’s also not much evidence they make any money for the host city, although for Melbourne this will at least be mitigated by concessions to allow for use of existing infrastructure and spreading across broader geographical areas. The significant costs involved means hosting cities are barely representative of the diversity of the Commonwealth.

Those in New Delhi in 2010 were plagued with budget and infrastructure issues. The city of Durban in South Africa was slated to host either the 2022 or 2026 games but had to be removed from the line-up due to inability to meet funding requirements and deadlines. The 2022 games are now set for Birmingham and the 2030 games are looking to Canada, suggesting that like the Olympics, their future will largely involve returning to host cities again and again to ensure financial viability.

The argument against

The key reason to keep them is for the opportunity it offers athletes. While the relevance of the Commonwealth as a body is questionable, the games still provide a global stage for outstanding athleticism. Aside from the Olympics, there are few opportunities for athletes to come together on a global stage and be revered for their talents. In a way it would seem brutal to deny them thar.

The moves by the Commonwealth Games Federation would seem to be the only viable way for them to continue. Limiting requirements on what must be constructed — such as athlete housing — will make the financial aspect easier to accept.

But no matter how the federation adapts, we’re in the dying days of British imperialism. A sporting competition for the Commonwealth will permanently be a representation of a bygone era that much of the world is eager to move on from.

Is there still a place for the Commonwealth Games? Let us know your thoughts by writing to letters@crikey.com.au. Please include your full name if you would like to be considered for publication in Crikey’s Your Say column. We reserve the right to edit for length and clarity.