The Commonwealth of Nations, famously known as the Commonwealth Games (CWG), is an international multi-sport event.
The CWG was previously referred to as The British Empire Games from 1930 to 1950, the British Empire and Commonwealth Games from 1954 to 1966, and British Commonwealth Games from 1970 to 1974.
It involves athletes from 54 countries. It is a political association of member states which was the vast majority of which are former territories of the British Empire. India became a member of this association in 1947.
The first CWG was held in 1930. The Commonwealth Games are the first international multi-sport event to include people with disabilities as full members of their national teams. The Games became the first global multi-sport event in 2018 to feature an equal number of medal events for men and women.
Although there are currently 54 countries as members of the CWG, 72 teams currently participate in the sporting tournament as members of dependent territories compete under their flags.
India became a member of the CWG on 17 May, 1945. It has completed 17 editions but missed four in 1930, 1950, 1962, and 1986.
Although, a member of the team that played India’s first-ever Test match was also a member of the Indian contingent that competed in the 1934 Commonwealth Games in London!
India also hosted the CWG in 2010, Delhi, and it was a successful event with the Indian contingent winning 38 gold, 27 silver, and 36 bronze medals.
It is hoping that in the Commonwealth Games 2022 held in Birmingham, Indian athletes wild shine and pride their way.
If that’s not surprising, there are many lesser-known facts about India at the CWG (Commonwealth Games). These facts are a notion of many fests of facts that have made the country’s flag fly high.
Here are 30 interesting facts about India at the CWG. From winning the medals to breaking records, here is the lesser-known part you were looking for.
The quadrennial event will begin in the United Kingdom on July 28, 2022, and will last until August 8, 2022. Before it veins, let’s dig into some interesting facts about CWG India.
30 Interesting Facts About India At CWG (Commonwealth Games)
1. India made its debut at the CWG – Commonwealth Games, while it was called the British Empire Games during its second edition in 1934.
2. India won a bronze medal by finishing odd 12th at the overall CWG.
3. Wrestler Rashid Anwar bagged India’s first CWG medal in 1934. He won a bronze medal.
4. Only 6 Indian contingents departed from the CWG in 1934.
5. In 1934, when India debuted in the commonwealth game, it only competed in wrestling and athletics.
6. The country’s largest contingent at the CWG was registered in 2010 when 495 athletes competed in front of their home crowd.
7. India has won one medal at the time of its debut in 1934.
8. Shooter Tejaswani Sawant is the most successful woman at the CWG with 7 medals under her wings.
9. Jaspal Rana, the shooter is the most renowned Indian athlete at the commonwealth games with 15 medals against his name.
10. The controversy surrounds India’s youngest gold medallist at the Commonwealth Games, shooter Anish Bhanwala (2018 – 25m Rapid Pistol) and wrestler Ved Prakash (1970 – Wrestling).
11. Prasanta Karmakar is the only Indian para-swimmer who clinched a medal at the CWG held in New Delhi, India 2010.
12. India has won 503 medals in the CWG history with – 181 gold, 173 silver, and 149 at the event.
13. India hosted the Commonwealth Games for the first time in 2010 in Delhi.
14. The 2010 CWG, which India hosted at its home ground saw an enormous sports campaign with winning its ever melodious 101 medals – 39 gold medals, 26 silvers, and 36 bronze to finish second on the medals leader-board.
15. Indian shooters flourished at the CWG 2010, Delhi. It was the best howling sport.
16. The Commonwealth Youth Games were held in Pune in 2008, two years before India hosted the Commonwealth Games in Delhi.
17. In 1966, the CWG was held in Kingston, Jamaica, where India hit the 10-medal jackpot for the first time in a single edition at the sports arena.
18. At the 1966 Commonwealth Games, Praveen Kumar won a silver medal for India in the men’s hammer throw. He is popularly known to be a part of the famous series – Mahabharata.
19. Since the 2002 edition, India has consistently finished in the top five of the overall standings.
20. Believe it or not, India currently ranks fourth in the history of the Commonwealth Games, trailing only Australia, England, and Canada.
21. Delhi won the hosting rights for the 2010 Commonwealth Games by a margin of 46 votes to 22 over Hamilton, Canada, which hosted the first Commonwealth Games in 1930.
22. Milkha Singh, India’s legendary sprinter, was the first athlete to win a gold medal for the country at the Commonwealth Games, winning first place in the men’s 440-yard event in Cardiff in 1958.
23. In 1930, the first Commonwealth Games were held in Hamilton, Canada. The first Commonwealth Games featured 400 athletes from 11 countries. India made its debut in the CWG for the first time in 1934.
24. However, with many reigning athletes throughout the year, India dominates shooting at the CWG with 135 podium finishes.
25. Track and field athletes Stephanie D’Souza, and Elizabeth Davenport made history as the first Indian women to compete in the Commonwealth Games in Cardiff in 1958.
26. Badminton players Ami Ghia and Kanwal Singh were the first Indian women to win a CWG medal by pocketing a doubles bronze in 1978 at Edmonton.
27. Roopa Unnikrishnan became the first Indian woman to win a Commonwealth Games gold medal when she won the Women’s 50m Rifle Prone event in Kuala Lumpur in 1998.
28. CWG 2018 held at We4st Coast, Australia, table tennis player Manika Batra was the successful player by winning four medals and gathering 66 medals at the editions and finished third.
29. Raghavan Chandrasekaran proved to be the jewel in the crown at the Commonwealth Games in 1990, he won three gold medals in the flyweight division, including snatch, clean and jerk, and bagged three silvers at the 1994 edition, Canada.
30. Cricket will return to the CWG program in Birmingham in 2022 for the second time. The Indian women’s team will participate in the T20 format at the event.
These are the top 30 interesting facts about India at CWG- Commonwealth Games. It has been a rollercoaster ride for Indian contingents at the multi-sport event.
This year Indian athletes will be looking to extend their purple streak in Birmingham in 2022. It will hope to keep the force alive and reckon their presence at the game.
Nothing makes us more proud than seeing the nation’s flag flourish high. Mad4India bestows the appeal of grit, confidence, and confidence to every Indian athlete and team participating in the event.
Sources of information – Olympics
If you loved reading this story, you can also read about India At The Commonwealth Games 2022: List Of Athletes And Teams Qualified For The Birmingham Cut!
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