What are the Commonwealth Games?

What the report says

BBC Sport has published an explainer on the Commonwealth Games ahead of the 2026 edition in Glasgow, Scotland, which is scheduled to run from 23 July to 2 August. The article describes the Games as a four-yearly international multi-sport competition for members of the Commonwealth Games Association, with roots in the British Empire Games first held in 1930. Glasgow 2026 will be the 23rd edition.

According to BBC Sport, 74 teams are expected to compete. The field includes sovereign states, British Overseas Territories, the four UK home nations, Crown Dependencies and other Commonwealth-linked territories or states. England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland compete separately, unlike at the Olympics and Paralympics. Gabon and Togo are listed as debutants after joining the Commonwealth in 2022, despite not having historical links to it.

The 2026 programme has been reduced to 10 sports, down from 17 when Glasgow last hosted in 2014. Events include athletics, swimming, artistic gymnastics, track cycling, netball, weightlifting, boxing, judo, bowls and 3x3 basketball, with Para competitions incorporated in several sports including athletics, swimming, track cycling, powerlifting, bowls and wheelchair basketball.

BBC Sport notes that Australia has the strongest all-time Commonwealth Games medal record, with 2,604 medals, followed by England with 2,322 and Canada with 1,647. The explainer also highlights the Games’ significance as a smaller-scale counterpart to the Olympics and Paralympics and as a multi-sport event known for fully integrating Para events into its programme.