Beginning October 3, 2010, CBC Television, CBCSports.ca and bold will begin 12 consecutive days of comprehensive coverage of Delhi 2010: The XIX Commonwealth Games from Delhi, India. The XIX Commonwealth Games mark the first time the event has been held in India, and the second time in Asia (after the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur). It will be the largest multi-sport event ever held in India, which previously hosted the Asian Games in 1951 and 1982. CBC has broadcast coverage of every Commonwealth Games to Canadians since The 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games were held in Vancouver.
Canada has a storied record at The Commonwealth Games, dating back to the original event when the legendary Percy Williams brought home gold in the 100-yard dash. Since that time many Canadian stars have shone on The Commonwealth Games stage, including two-time high jump gold medalist Mark Boswell; gold and silver medalist Clara Hughes; multiple medalist Alexandre Despatie; 2002 triathlon gold medalist Simon Whitfield; multiple medal winners Blythe Hartley and Émilie Heymans; freestyle wrestling gold medalist Daniel Igali and many more. The Games have featured countless memorable moments throughout the years, such as 1954’s “Miracle Mile” race between Roger Banister and John Landy in Vancouver; Canadian swimmer Graham Smith setting a then-Games record with six gold medals in Edmonton in 1978;Australia’s remarkable Ian Thorpe winning four gold medals in 1998 followed-up by another six in 2002, and most recently Canadian rhythmic gymnast Alexandra Orlando winning six gold medals at the 2006 Games in Melbourne.
“We’re excited to once again be Canada’s broadcaster for The Commonwealth Games,” said Scott Moore, executive director, CBC Sports and general manager, CBC Media Sales & Marketing. “CBC has a long and proud history of providing Canadians with the best in amateur sports from around the world. The Games began a rich tradition of world-class competition in Canada in 1930, and there is no better place for coverage of this tremendous event than on CBC.”
The Commonwealth Games made its debut as the British Empire Games in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada in 1930. Since then, 16 cities from around the world have welcomed amateur athletes from more than 70 nations and territories from every continent. Top athletes compete in aquatics; archery; athletics; badminton; boxing; cycling; gymnastics; field hockey; lawn bowling; netball, rugby 7’s; shooting; squash; table tennis; weightlifting and wrestling. In the most recent Commonwealth Games held in Melbourne in 2006, Canada finished third atop the medal count with a total of 86 medals, 26 of them gold.
Full broadcast schedules and additional details will be available in the coming months.
CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster and one of its largest cultural institutions. The Corporation is a leader in reaching Canadians on new platforms and delivers a comprehensive range of radio, television, Internet, and satellite-based services. Deeply rooted in the regions, CBC/Radio-Canada is the only domestic broadcaster to offer diverse regional and cultural perspectives in English, French and eight Aboriginal languages.
