Commonwealth Games Federation

The Rev Ashley Cooper had first suggested a four yearly ‘English speaking’ festival of sport for countries within the British Empire in an article in ‘The Times’ in 1891. However it was not until 1911 that an ‘Inter-Empire Championships’ took place at Crystal Palace as part of the ‘Festival of Empire’ to mark the coronation of King George V.

It would be 1928 before any formal steps were taken to organise a British Empire Games. In that year, the Canadian Melville Marks ‘Bobby’ Robinson was promised support from the Hamilton civic authorities and, after meetings with the Empire representatives, it was agreed that the first British Empire Games were to be held in Hamilton, Canada in 1930.

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