The Commonwealth Games in the Twentieth Century : The Welsh Perspective

This book by Myrddin John traces the history of the Commonwealth Games. His involvement with the Commonwealth Games commenced with his selection to represent Wales at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games at Cardiff following which he gathered considerable experience as secretary, coach and ultimately as General Team Manager of the Welsh Team. This is a treatise of the history of the Games since its inception at Hamilton, Canada in 1930 up to the XVI Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 1998. The volume records many matters of interest connected with the Games in the 20th Century with an emphasis on the contribution of Welsh athletes and officials in its development. The Commonwealth Games or the "Friendly Games" as they have been affectionately known since 1970, have grown to be one of the foremost attractions in the sporting calendar. The Games have expanded from 6 competing sports in 1930 to 16 in 1998, and they continue to encourage young people to participate in sport, to develop confidence by participating in friendly rivalry.