The Commonwealth Games
A Political History
1st Edition
Published on 15. January 2026
Book
Hardback
978-1-138-92153-5 (ISBN)
Description
Since their inception in 1930 as the British Empire Games, the Commonwealth Games have developed into one of the world's major sporting mega-events, with 5,000 athletes competing in Glasgow 2014 representing countries covering one third of the world's population. This is the first book to survey the entire history of the Commonwealth Games and to explore their significance in the context of sporting political history. It examines the relationship between the Games and the Commonwealth organisation more generally; evaluates the development of the Games themselves, and analyses the key issues which have shaped their political and historical development.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Target group
College/higher education
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Weight
453 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-138-92153-5 (9781138921535)
Copyright in bibliographic data is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or its licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Marc Keech is Principal Lecturer and Assistant Head of School at the School of Sport and Service Management, the University of Brighton, UK. He has previously published in areas of sport history, sport policy, and sport and international relations and, after a number of years in Higher Education management, has also attended five of the last six Commonwealth Games, most recently working and researching from the Main Press Centre in Glasgow.
Content
1. Introduction: The Commonwealth and Sport Part 1. Empire: the emergence of the Commonwealth Games 2. The Development and Infrastructure of the Commonwealth Games 3. The Politics of the Commonwealth Games Sports 4. Continental Participation, Emergence from the Empire and the Growth of the Games 5. Small Nations, Subnational Island Jurisdictions and Dependent Territories Part 2. Defining Political Issues 6. South Africa, Boycotts and the Commonwealth Games 7. The Politics of Asia and Expansion: a double edged sword? 8. Women's Sport in the Commonwealth Games 9. Para-sport at the Commonwealth Games Part 3. Contemporary Histories and Futures 10. The Commercialisation of the Commonwealth Games 11. The Commonwealth Games, Youth, and Sport for Development and Peace 12. Glasgow 2014 and the Future Politics of the Commonwealth Games 13. Conclusion