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Executive Worldwide Travel is very pleased and proud to be the official travel agent
for Commonwealth Games Athletes as well as the official ticket agent for
Commonwealth Games Tickets in Canada.
In addition, we are working to arrange the very best travel options for spectators wishing to enjoy
the Commonwealth Games and possibly tack on a little vacation travel as well.
Please visit our accommodations and transportation information pages frequently as we will be posting
options as they become available.
About the Games
The vibrant city of New Delhi, home to 14 million people, will host the Commonwealth Games
in 2010. This will be the first time India has hosted the Games and only the second time
the event has been held in Asia (Kuala Lumpur in 1998 was the first).
Delhi is the capital city of India and is rich in culture and history. It stands on the
western end of the Gangetic Plain and is bordered by the states of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.
There are two main districts of the city, Old Delhi the capital of Muslim India between
the mid 17th and late 19th centuries with its historic sites, mosques and monuments and
New Delhi, the imperial city created by the British Raj with its imposing government
buildings and tree lined avenues.
The dates for the Games are 3 - 14 October 2010, inclusive of the Opening
and Closing Ceremonies. Weather wise the city experiences an October mean
temperature minimum 17.2 degrees centigrade and maximum 31.3 degrees centigrade
with humidity ranging from 31 to 78% for the October and November months.
The Delhi Games Village is to be constructed as a low rise medium development
on a 40 acre site in the heart of the capital with a possible capacity for 8,500
athletes and officials. Existing and new stadia will be used to house the following sports:
- Archery
- Aquatics
- Athletics
- Badminton
- Boxing
- Cycling
- Gymnastics
- Hockey
- Lawn Bowls
- Netball
- Rugby 7s
- Shooting
- Squash
- Table Tennis
- Tennis
- Weightlifting
- Wrestling
In addition, 15 events will be contested across 4 Para-Sports, for elite athletes with a disability, on the inclusive Sports Programme:
- Athletics
- Swimming
- Powerlifting
- Table Tennis
Delhi won the right to host the 2010 Games by defeating the Canadian city of Hamilton
by 46 votes to 22 at the CGF General Assembly held in Montego Bay in November 2003.
The Indian city of Pune hosted the 3rd Commonwealth Youth Games from 12 - 18 October 2008
and saw the following nine sports on the programme; Athletics, Badminton, Boxing, Shooting,
Swimming, Table Tennis, Tennis, Weightlifting and Wrestling.
Promoting a unique, friendly and world class Games, the Commonwealth Games Federation develops
sport for the benefit of the people, the nations and the territories of the Commonwealth and
thereby strengthens the Commonwealth.
History
The Commonwealth Games are to Canada what the Olympic Games are to Greece as the first
Commonwealth Games were held in 1930 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Bobby Robinson, a major influence within athletics in Canada at the time, finally implemented
the event that had been talked about amongst Commonwealth nations for over thirty years.
Eleven countries with 400 athletes in total participated in the first Commonwealth Games.
$30,000 was provided by the City of Hamilton to these nations to help cover travelling costs.
Since then, the Games have been conducted every four years except for 1942 and 1946, due
to World War II.
From 1930 to 1950 the Games were known as the British Empire Games, then the British Empire
and Commonwealth Games until 1962. From 1966 to 1974 they took on the title of British Commonwealth
Games and from 1978 onwards they have been known as simply the Commonwealth Games.
While other Games around the globe have been founded on geographic or climatic factors such as the
Asian, Pan Am, African Games and Winter Olympics, the Commonwealth Games has been founded on history.
Unique characteristics of the Commonwealth Games include being the only Games which shares a
common language. All athletes and officials can converse with each other in English,
creating an atmosphere that has led to the Commonwealth Games being long known as the "Friendly Games".
The bonds of the Commonwealth Games help to encourage and support the pursuit of health
and fitness in each of the 71 member nations and territories and provide an inspiration for youth to strive
for excellence.
Participating Countries
Although there are 53 Commonwealth countries, there are 71 Commonwealth Games Associations
that can enter a team in the Commonwealth Games. This is because some Commonwealth
countries have more than one CGA. The Commonwealth includes 1.7 billion people living on every continent but Antarctica.
Canada will be looking to field a team of between 400 and 450 athletes, coaches and officials
for the 2010 Games.
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