Commonwealth Games 2026

[dullard 743]

A Comm Games in Africa would be great. 

[mpjmcevoy 375]

21 minutes ago, dullard said:

A Comm Games in Africa would be great. 

Would solve a lot of problems, including helping reposition the Games as explicitly 'post-colonial' - i.e far from celebrating Empir, they now celebrate the END of empire.

[dullard 743]

10 minutes ago, mpjmcevoy said:

Would solve a lot of problems, including helping reposition the Games as explicitly 'post-colonial' - i.e far from celebrating Empir, they now celebrate the END of empire.

My impression is that it's mostly white westerners that complain about Comm Games' colonial origin. The loudest even seem to be from a certain powerful country that's not even part of the Commonwealth.

Edited April 9, 2024 by dullard

[mpjmcevoy 375]

7 minutes ago, dullard said:

My impression is that it's mostly white westerners that complain about Comm Games' colonial origin. The loudest even seem to be from a certain powerful country that's not even part of the Commonwealth.

Indeed.

 

It seems to my admittedly biased eyes that the commonwealth games has actually been one of the few vaguely successful concilliatory mechanisms - and the move to recognise indigenous people explicitly going forward shows it knows that's the direction. In my own eyes, the UK competing as its four home nations, and all its islands and territories having autonomy, is a good thing, and a sign of attempting to find equality. Very far from perfect, but still, a good thing.

 

Arguably the continent that rejected the trappings of Empire most fully is Arica- it has far fewer residual 'Commonwealth Realms' (countries that remained kingdoms and kept the British king) than the other Continents - and yet, they seem - in the main - to still enjoy having their voice heard in those Games, and all four non-empire countries that actively ASKED to join are from African - Rwanda, Mozambique, Togo and Gabon. (I understand Surinam may be next, but technically it was British Willoughbyland for a brief moment - certainly South Sudan and Burundi have made noises, so - unlike Asia where India always seems on the Brink of leaving- there still seems an appetite in Africa for whatever benefits CW and CWG can bring).

 

India is a very big country with designs on being a nationalistic superpower - I can see how that continued Commonwealth membership doesn't really sit with that, but I think that's a pity in some ways.

 

As for a possible Ghana 2026, there would be something rather pleasantly preparatory if Ghana got to host the first Africa Commonwealth Games, saved the event, and used money handed over by the Commonwealth, from a 'white dominion' to do it!

[rajiv 31]

41 minutes ago, dullard said:

My impression is that it's mostly white westerners that complain about Comm Games' colonial origin. The loudest even seem to be from a certain powerful country that's not even part of the Commonwealth.

 Criticism of the Commonwealth Games existence by non-Commonwealth citizens has been pretty common on this site. 

Funny how none of the other non-geographical based Games don't get such treatment although maybe they just aren't noticed. 

Beats me why these Comm Games haters are so bothered. 

[intoronto 6,393]

Ghana?

The country is almost bankrupt, had to postpone the African Games on more than one occasion...can't help but be pessimistic. But I wish them well and curiousto see what their plan is.

[Rafa Maciel 1,658]

Just now, intoronto said:

Ghana?

The country is almost bankrupt, had to postpone the African Games on more than one occasion...can't help but be pessimistic. But I wish them well and curiousto see what their plan is.

Bear in mind that they will be getting paid to host though and if they already have the infrastructure in place from the African games, then so long as they don't go nuts with the size and scale of it, then the actual cost of hosting could be pretty negligible in the grand scheme of things. 

[mpjmcevoy 375]

24 minutes ago, Rafa Maciel said:

Bear in mind that they will be getting paid to host though and if they already have the infrastructure in place from the African games, then so long as they don't go nuts with the size and scale of it, then the actual cost of hosting could be pretty negligible in the grand scheme of things. 

Indeed, getting double bang on the venues they already built PLUS a cash bonus may seem like a win win...

[Rafa Maciel 1,658]

2 minutes ago, mpjmcevoy said:

Indeed, getting double bang on the venues they already built PLUS a cash bonus may seem like a win win...

Although if I was the CGF I would want to be exercising some degree of control over how that money is being spent.

[dodge 1,040]

6 minutes ago, Rafa Maciel said:

Although if I was the CGF I would want to be exercising some degree of control over how that money is being spent.

Nothing says post colonialism more than controlling how they spend their money