The highly anticipated 2022 Commonwealth Games took place in Birmingham this year, producing some of the most electric performances of the sporting calendar. 72 nations and territories competed over 19 sports with Australia once again topping the medal table. The Games were even capped off by a surprise performance from rock icon Ozzy Osborne. However, amidst plans for a downsizing of the Games and an uncertain future, what does this mean, and should the Commonwealth Games even continue at all?
Undoubtedly, the Commonwealth Games has always had one eye on its past. The Commonwealth will always have a legacy representing colonialism, slavery and exploitation by the British Empire, repeatedly needing to justify its existence. This was particularly acute this year with Barbados’ decision to remove the Queen as its Head of State in 2021, the move of Australia towards Republicanism and the public discord towards the royals’ recent trip to Jamaica. Moreover, the Games had to compete in sporting terms in this year’s packed calendar, with the Women’s Euros and the Athletics World Championships in Eugene, Oregon.
The sporting event is political in nature, with the rhetoric of keeping politics “out of sport” clearly not applicable here. The Commonwealth Games Foundation’s latest strategic plan produced an all too familiar soundbite acknowledging its “challenging history linked to colonial roots”. Shifting to messages of global peace means nothing without tangible, evident policies. Changing the name of the Commonwealth Games might, whilst not being a tangible measure itself, represent the Games’ subsequent commitment to betterment. Anyhow, the name has already been changed twice since its inception from the British Empire Games in 1930, so a further change is long overdue.
Furthermore, the initial management team for the Birmingham Games was 95% white-led, with 90% of the direct money produced by the Games to be handed to white-led organisations in the West Midlands. Although later heavily revised, it still displays a need for renewed focus on representation in the organisation and legacy of the Games, especially as Birmingham is one of the most diverse cities in Europe.
Contemporary issues also surround the Games. Homosexuality is illegal in 36 out of 55 of the Commonwealth countries, which is also, in part, a result of British Colonial rule. Tom Daley’s inspiring, yet equally harrowing, documentary “Illegal to Be Me” shone a spotlight on some of these anti-LGBT laws and the people in fear of being persecuted by them.
However, the documentary’s culmination of the LGBTQ+ Pride flag being flown along with the Queen’s Baton at the closing ceremony was a buoyant reminder of sport’s ability to unite people and offer hope. A first in major sporting games history. It also showed its ability to shine a spotlight for further action, perhaps passing the baton to governments to enact a response.
The 2022 Games, from a sporting perspective, has actually been the most inclusive to date. This has greatly improved the spectacle of sport and competition for athletes, fans and spectators. In Birmingham, there were more medals on offer for women than for men. New sports (including 3×3 Basketball), mixed formats and para-athletes being given equality in medals and games ceremonial, made these Games unique and appealing, attracting a range of athletes.
Their relevancy has not been lost either. The Commonwealth Games often acts as a trailblazer for the Olympics. At the Gold Coast Games in 2018, the first trans athlete competed in the Commonwealth Games and in Tokyo 2020, this inclusivity was paralleled. Likewise, in 2018 men and women were competing for an equal distribution of medals on offer and Tokyo followed suit. Furthermore, unlike the Olympics, this year’s Games saw competitors being allowed to protest or display a symbol of solidarity with a particular cause.
What does this mean though for the future of the Games? With imminent plans to downsize the Games and with struggles to find new host cities, alongside the added political issues surrounding this sporting event, is there an appetite for the continuation of the Games?
The athletes, fans and spectators in Birmingham would suggest the Commonwealth Games maintains a significant future role in representing diversity and challenge. Hundreds of millions of people also tuned in worldwide to watch 11 days of sporting excellence. Having spoken to volunteers at the games, the experience seemed an overwhelmingly positive one. If it remains so, the Games should renew its commitment to the future.
If the Commonwealth Games is still a family of nations, it is a very dysfunctional, unhappy one. The large, looming legacy of colonialism must be properly addressed, not with short-term slogans, but rather with ground-up policy. The Games must continue to be a progressive entity and attract high level athletes.
Sport on this scale is a powerful tool for change. Often, calls to keep politics out of sport act to repress this power. Nevertheless, if the Games are to remain a highly anticipated showcase for sport by athletes, fans and spectators, then they must have a reason to continue.