Commonwealth Games Research Articles

Inside the Pleasure Dome: Cultural Tourism on Australia’s Gold Coast

In 2018 the City of the Gold Coast in south-east Queensland, Australia, will host the next Commonwealth Games. The City is made up a 57 km stretch of coastline and hinterland divided by a major highway. The famous surfing beaches are framed by high-rise development while the hinterland is marketed as a green, unspoilt environment. The winning bid for the Games, and discussion about future infrastructure and marketing of the region’s attributes, has focussed attention on the way City residents and policy makers think about their region in broad terms. Whereas in the past tourism marketing has been directed towards the pleasures of sun and surf by day and bright lights by night, various regional tourist stakeholders are beginning to reorient their programs. This paper considers some of the competing aims of the various stakeholders in this region and the interaction of existing ‘cultures’ with new technology and the demands of permanent residents, using data from a case study of e-literary trails developed in Brisbane, the capital city of Queensland. The importance of tourist imaginaries as a basis for using rich accounts of the past for future planning is emphasized.

Which Place for the Homeless in Delhi? Scrutiny of a Mobilisation Campaign in the 2010 Commonwealth Games Context

The socio-spatial restructuring of Delhi was accompanied by large-scale slum demolitions that increased homelessness. This paper focuses on the people made homeless, and their struggle to assert their place in the city. First, it expounds the context of homelessness in Delhi and analyses the mechanisms behind its aggravation. Then, it examines a decisive moment in this struggle: a mobilisation campaign for the homeless’ right to shelter, triggered by a tragic eviction during the preparations for the 2010 Commonwealth Games. This research shows that the campaign’s success is due to the combination of long-term structural work at the grassroots level and the timely reaction of various connected actors in different spheres (civil society, media, justice) and institutional levels, and how the campaign for the homeless faces several challenges in sustaining its outcomes.

Commonwealth Games and Their Impact on Scotland’s Future in or outside the United Kingdom

It is more than probable that the Commonwealth Games in 2014 will be used by the Scottish government as a tool in the battle for independence. For the Scottish National Party (SNP), sport events constitute another opportunity to underline Scottish autonomy. During the last Olympic Games, SNP ministers refused to use the name “Team GB” in their message to the Scottish athletes. Nurturing Scottish pride during the Games has already begun, with the official mascot—the Clyde Thistle, which is Scotland’s national flower and emblem. The mascot of the Commonwealth Games has never waved the patriotic flag as it does now.

The Impact of Sports Events on Inbound Tourism in New Zealand

Sports events are an instrument of destination marketing for host countries. Over the past 40 years, New Zealand has held sports events such as the Commonwealth Games and the America's Cup and many international tourists have visited New Zealand during these events. While past studies have examined the economic value of such tourism at a generic level, the impact of mega sports events at more specific levels is unknown. Thus, this study examines not only the impact of eight mega sports events upon New Zealand's international tourist arrivals over the 1983–2005 period at the overall level, but also the number of tourist arrivals from participating countries for each event. Results suggest that the 1990 Commonwealth Games, the 2000 America's Cup (yachting) and the 2005 British and Irish Lions Tour (rugby) had a significant impact on tourist arrivals overall and on arrivals from each participating country.

Relationship of convenience? The diplomatic interplay between the Commonwealth Games Federation and the Commonwealth Games host city

This paper analyses the diplomatic dynamics that define and underpin the relationship between the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) and the Commonwealth Games host city. For the host city, the Commonwealth Games holds out the promise of global visibility, urban regeneration, improved economic activity and social cohesion. For the CGF, the appeal of the host city can improve athlete participation in the event, enhance the appeal and longevity of the sports involved and strengthen the sustainability of the sporting institution itself. The relationship is thus one of mutual convenience through which both actors seek to leverage the global appeal of the other to maximize their own interests and to advance their respective public diplomacy agendas. However, the benefits and opportunities are balanced by risks and challenges arising from distinct asymmetries in the power, interests, accountabilities and long-term engagement of the two key actors. Findings suggest that it is the host city, rather than the CGF, that is the more vulnerable player in the relationship.

Beyond sports nutrition: the diverse role of dietitians at the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games

Although registered sports dietitians commonly assist athletes with training and competition nutrition advice, an emerging area of practice is focused around food provision and nutrition support provided at major competition events. The present study aimed, first, to identify the dietetic skills and scope of practice that dietitians may require to work in this environment as determined by the occasions of service provided by dietitians at a nutrition kiosk located in the dining hall at a major competition event and, second, to investigate athletes' opinion and usage of the nutrition services and the association with their type of sport and previous source of nutrition information. Dietitians based at a nutrition kiosk recorded all enquiries (n=383) and consultations (n=60) from 23 September to 14 October 2010. A questionnaire was also distributed to athletes in the main dining hall over this period to investigate their opinion and use of nutrition support, as well as their previous source of nutrition information. Although athletes from Western regions made up the majority of the enquiries regarding food provision and special/therapeutic dietary requirements (predominately food allergy and intolerance), athletes from non-Western regions, and those in weight category sports, had more sports nutrition enquiries and were more likely to request a consultation. A number of athletes (32%) reported no previous or one source of nutrition information, whereas only eight of 52 athletes who requested a consultation had prior nutrition assistance. In addition to sport nutrition knowledge and experience, dietitians working in this environment are likely to require an understanding of cultural eating styles, food beliefs and customs, large-scale food service operation, and local food availability.

An Exploration of the Relationship between Large-Scale Sporting Events and Education for Sustainable Development: The Case of the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games

This study explores the relationship between large-scale sporting events (LSSEs) and education for sustainable development (ESD). A case study-based explorative research approach was employed utilising the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games (MCG) – one of only two LSSEs that have taken place in Australia (the other being the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games) which have purposely sought to engage with a sustainable development agenda. The enquiry concludes that the MCG acted as a vehicle for ESD and in so doing impacted, to varying degrees, organisations, groups and individuals across its host community (the State of Victoria). Various factors were identified that impacted the ESD process in this context. Facilitating factors included the presence of an environmental strategy inclusive of ESD elements; a pre-existing commitment by government to sustainable development; and the use of partnerships by the event's organisers to progress its environmental agenda. Constraints on the ESD process were also identified. Central amongst these were the failure to embrace environmental considerations in the MCG's enabling legislation and the limited resources given over to, and lack of emphasis placed upon, the event's overall environmental programme.

Te Whariki Tuakiri (the identity mat): Māori elite athletes and the expression of ethno-cultural identity in global sport

Māori (indigenous people of New Zealand) athletes who participate in elite-level sport are a very diverse social group, many of whom function adaptively in the high echelons of sport in Aotearoa New Zealand society and on the world stage. This article proposes one major question: how do Māori athletes weave their Māori identity publicly and privately in a global sporting context? Utilizing an amalgamation of Kaupapa Māori theory,1 critical race theory and narrative inquiry approaches exposes a negotiation of ethno-cultural identities in both public and private ways. The narratives of Māori elite athletes identify how they experience ethno-cultural identity through the implementation of tikanga Māori2 and Matauranga Māori (Māori knowledge and cultural practices) and how these practices impact on their identities as Māori, athletes, New Zealanders and a team in the public domain of the Olympic and/or Commonwealth Games. The private rituals and personal explorations of ethno-cultural identity by Māori athletes in elite-level sport were also revealed. Both the public and private expressions of Māori identity were described and explained through a Māori concept referred to as mauri (individual life force), and the elements of ethno-cultural identity were visually represented as Te Whariki Tuakiri or the identity mat. The use of culturally appropriate concepts and metaphors provides a more in-depth and sensitive picture of what influences ethno-cultural identity for Māori athletes in elite-level sport in a way that will benefit Māori athletes and their ethno-cultural communities in general.

Diasporic pugilists and fighting for national belonging: Haroon Khan and the 2010 Commonwealth Games

The 2010 Delhi Games, anticipated as a chance to prove the administrative acumen of Britain's former colony, became a debate about infrastructural failures and Indian governmental incompetence. Within this charged atmosphere of postcolonial rivalry, Haroon Iqbal Khan's decision to represent Pakistan was regarded with suspicion in the British press. His subsequent success at the Games resulted in his popular repatriation by the press. Considering Khan's portrayal in the British sporting media within the history of British Asian representation, I argue that the Khan case demonstrates that the widely reported and publicly debated membership decisions on the part of British Asian athletes are framed in terms of the athletes' ‘personal choice’, and as evidence of their successful assimilation. Despite their celebrity status, they are subject to the same contingent national belonging of other diasporic Asians in Britain. Their ‘Britishness’ itself is contingent upon sporting success, even as their success is claimed as a national victory.

Quantifying the effect of air quality control measures during the 2010 Commonwealth Games at Delhi, India

In 2010, the XIX Commonwealth Games (CWG-2010) were held in India for the first time at Delhi and involved 71 commonwealth nations and dependencies with more than 6000 athletes participating in 272 events. This was the largest international multi-sport event to be staged in India and strict emission controls were imposed during the games in order to ensure improved air quality for the participating athletes as a significant portion of the population in Delhi is regularly exposed to elevated levels of pollution. The air quality control measures ranged from vehicular and traffic controls to relocation of factories and reduction of power plant emissions. In order to understand the effects of these policy induced control measures, a network of air quality and weather monitoring stations was set-up across different areas in Delhi under the Government of India's System of Air quality Forecasting And Research (SAFAR) project. Simultaneous measurements of aerosols, reactive trace gases (e.g. NOx, O3, CO) and meteorological parameters were made before, during and after CWG-2010. Contrary to expectations, the emission controls implemented were not sufficient to reduce the pollutants, instead in some cases, causing an increase. The measured pollutants regularly exceeded the National Ambient Air Quality limits over the games period. The reasons for this increase are attributed to an underestimation of the required control measures, which resulted in inadequate planning. The results indicate that any future air quality control measures need to be well planned and strictly imposed in order to improve the air quality in Delhi, which affects a large population and is deteriorating rapidly. Thus, the presence of systematic high resolution data and realistic emission inventories through networks such as SAFAR will be directly useful for the future.

Dietary Regimens of Athletes Competing at the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games

The aim of this study was to investigate the dietary regimens reported by athletes competing at a major international competition and report whether these were based on nutrient composition, religious beliefs, cultural eating style, food intolerance or avoidance of certain ingredients. A questionnaire was randomly distributed to 351 athletes in the main dining hall of the athletes' village over the three main meal periods during the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games (23rd Sept-14th Oct, 2010). The majority (n = 218, 62%) of athletes reported following one or more dietary regimens, with 50% (n = 174) following a diet based on the nutrient composition of the food. Significantly more athletes from weight category and aesthetic sports (28%, p = .005) and from power/sprint sports (41%, p = .004) followed low fat and high protein regimens respectively. Other specialized dietary regimens were followed by 33% of participants, with avoidance of red meat (13%), vegetarian (7%), Halal (6%), and low lactose regimens (5%) reported most frequently. Significantly more athletes from non-Western regions followed a vegetarian diet (p < .001), while more vegetarians reported avoiding additives (p = .013) and wheat (p ≤ .001). A Western style of eating was the most commonly reported cultural regimen (72% of total with 23% from non-Western regions). Those following a Western diet were significantly more likely to report following a regimen based on nutrient composition (p = .02). As a high proportion of athletes from differing countries and sports follow specialized dietary regimens, caterers and organizers should ensure that adequate nutrition support and food items are available at similar events.

Still Not There: The Continued Invisibility of Female Athletes and Sports in the New Zealand Print Media

This research examined parity for female athletes compared with male athletes in the level of coverage received in the New Zealand print media in a year that did not contain either the Commonwealth or Olympic Games. Using content analysis, 562 sport news articles from the New Zealand Herald and the Dominion Post were analysed. The findings revealed that female athletes received 6.1 per cent of coverage compared with male athletes, who received 73.6 per cent; articles related to female athletes/sports had an average length of 432 words compared with 461 words for articles related to male athletes/sports. These data are a stark illustration that, even in a country where women led the world in achieving suffrage, continuing cultural change is not guaranteed.

Sport, glocalization and the new Indian middle class

Focusing on the structure and influence of transnational sport – namely the Commonwealth Games and fitness culture within the context of contemporary India – we draw on observations derived from empirical research to explore the complex interrelationships between economic liberalization, globalization, and consumer capitalism. Our argument centres on the processes through which contemporary Indian sport culture is being re-made within the image of India’s new middle class; a set of processes that simultaneously contributes toward the hegemony of India’s protuberant new middle class and thereby patently re-inscribes the social inequities and polarities evident within Indian life more generally. Through a contextual consideration of the economic liberalization policies and allied neoliberal ideologies that propelled the emergence of the new middle class (Antonio, 2007), and the consumer culture through which its identities are substantiated and boundaries demarcated (Bauman, 2001), we point to those bodies valorized (productive, consumptive and functional) and those pathologized (impoverished, underserved and disposable) within a transnational sporting culture that espouses the dictates of neoliberal polity, policy and body politics.

Athlete use and opinion of point of choice nutrition labels at a major international competition

Point of choice (POC) labels may assist individuals to choose food appropriate for their needs when dining away from home. However, limited research exists on the use and opinion of labels by athletes in a large dining hall environment. The aim of this study was to evaluate athletes’ utilisation and opinion of POC nutrition labels provided in the athletes village main dining hall at a major competition event (the 2010 Commonwealth Games, New Delhi, India). A questionnaire was distributed to athletes from a range of cultural and sporting backgrounds (n=351) while present within the dining hall during main meal periods throughout the competition event (23rd September–14th October, 2010). While the majority of respondents (79%) reported that it was important/very important to provide POC information for menu items and 59% rated the POC labels as useful/very useful, only 14% of athletes reported using labels all of the time. Athletes from specific regions (India/Sri Lanka, Africa), sports (team and weight category), and those with less education reported using the labels more frequently. Although females rated the importance of providing nutrition information higher than males (p=0.008), there was no gender difference in reported use of POC labels. Athletes believed that POC labels could be improved with the addition of more information, better aesthetic properties, and better positioning in more convenient locations. Further research to identify the most effective POC label for use in this environment, and ultimately the development of a standardised label may assist a broader range of athletes at future competitions.

Carbon dioxide accounting: 2014 Commonwealth Games Athletes' Village

A spreadsheet-based tool for whole-life carbon dioxide accounting of soil remediation projects has been created. The tool carries out whole-life analysis of projects, including supply chain emissions. It was applied to the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games Athletes' Village remediation project, for which a calculated total ‘carbon footprint’ of 2328 t of carbon dioxide equivalent emission (tCO2e) was obtained. This is 71 tCO2e/ha of the site or 13·3 kgCO2e/t whole life of soil treated. These figures are not comparable with those reported for other projects, which have typically not included supply chain emissions. Fuel use was the main contributor to emissions, but the contribution made by staff transport and carbon dioxide embodied in construction plant was also found to be significant. A comparison was made with an excavate and disposal (E&amp;D) approach, which required considerable use of estimation for the hypothetical E&amp;D. However, it was determined that the carbon footprint of E&amp;D may have been 14% higher than the soil washing actually used. It was concluded that fuel efficiency would be key to future reduction of the carbon footprint of remediation projects, that the accounting tool would be useful for ongoing project management, and its application over time could lead to a database of values for optioneering at the process design stage.

Capturing the Cultural Olympiad in Scotland: the case for multi-criteria analysis

This article examines the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad through the lens of a devolved Scotland, exploring how the Scottish cultural programmes and projects are being evaluated, and what this approach might offer for the wider UK and international context. Structurally, the article begins with a discussion of the relationship between sporting mega-events and culture, focusing specifically (although not exclusively) on the sport and cultural nexus around the Olympic Games. The discussion then moves to consider conceptual, policy and practice debates around cultural value, examining the extent to which existing research tools and techniques satisfactorily capture the contribution of culture to major events, public and social policy. Methodologically, the article draws on elite interviews with strategic stakeholders directly involved in the design, delivery and evaluation of Scotland's London 2012 Cultural Programme. The authors conclude that, when taken alongside other cultural evaluations conducted nationally and internationally, there is a need to develop a multi-criteria analysis (MCA) that can more effectively capture cultural value around major sporting events in the UK. This study has demonstrated a level of dissatisfaction within the Scottish cultural community about the limitations of existing mechanisms for measuring the value of culture within the mega-event platform. A robust, but nuanced, impact assessment is required because, unlike the UK as a whole, Scotland has a unique opportunity to undertake a longitudinal study assessing the conditions for legacy put in place as a result of the London 2012 Olympic Games for the subsequent 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. However, further research is required into the efficacy of the MCA for assessing cultural value generally and within the framework of major sports events, in particular.

Assessments of population exposure to environmental pollutants using air quality measurements during Commonwealth Games-2010

During the “Commonwealth Games” 2010 (CWG-2010) in Delhi, the Indian government has implemented an ambitious project “System of Air quality Forecasting And Research (SAFAR)” for monitoring and forecasting air-quality scenario. Using high-precision spatio-temporal measurements of criteria pollutants from the SAFAR network, the number of cases are estimated for total, cardiovascular and respiratory mortalities and hospital admissions. In a thinly populated airport area, the excess number of cases for total mortality show ∼10 for PM2.5 and 25 for PM10, whereas, ∼110 for PM2.5 and ∼300 for PM10 in most populous Delhi University (DU) area. Cardiovascular mortality in airport area show ∼5 and <10 for PM2.5 and PM10, respectively, but, in DU area show ∼55 for PM2.5 and ∼140 for PM10. In DU locality, respiratory mortality shows ∼7 and ∼20 for PM2.5 and PM10 and, hospital admissions show ∼11 and ∼30 for PM2.5 and PM10, respectively. In airport area, excess cases of respiratory mortality and hospital admission tends to one for exposure to PM2.5 or PM10 levels indicating effective exposure is the key factor for health hazards. As public health gains, low air pollution levels were observed before the CWG due to effective washout by monsoonal rain and during CWG under policy-induced air quality measures could increase the life expectancy as against to post-CWG period. These results are important for the megacities in developing world as the SAFAR project is internationally recognized by the Global Urban Research Meteorology and Environment of the World Meteorological Organization.

The Canadian state and sport: the dilemma of intervention†

Canadian sport has always been interwoven with the state. Different levels of government have enabled, encouraged and discouraged/prohibited different activities directly through legislation, regulation, the provision of facilities and other forms of patronage, and indirectly through economic and social policy, especially the stimulus of industrial production, the regulation of hours of work, the development of urban parks and playgrounds, and the promotion of public education. Many sports leaders have had political ties and have openly lobbied for state support. In the early years of the twentieth century, Canadian amateur sport leaders began calling for the creation of federal and provincial sports ministries in the interests of nation-building. The idea of significant state support for sport has been the rallying cry of the amateur/Olympic sector ever since. Those dreams were first realized when the Conservative government of John Diefenbaker created the Fitness and Amateur Sport (FAS) programme in 1961. In the early 1970s, spurred by the crisis of federal legitimacy brought about by Quebec nationalism and western regionalism and the adrenalin of the 1976 Olympics in Montreal and 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, the Liberal government of Pierre Trudeau used FAS to establish new institutions of sport development and transform the traditional amateur sports governing bodies into wards of the state, creating what is known today as ‘the Canadian sport system’. These new structures have helped Canadian athletes significantly improve their performances at the Olympic and Commonwealth Games in Canada. This article is a commentary on the state-directed and state-financed system of sport development. It was written in the summer of 1980, with one foot in the Canadian sport community – at the time, I was coaching at the University of Toronto and chaired the facility development committee of the Ontario track and field association – and the other within the debates on the left on the nature of the capitalist state. Then as now, I was concerned that the sport community's preoccupation with high-performance sport marginalized sport for all, but the political landscape was entirely different: the neoliberal revolution brought about by Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan had barely begun.

Guangzhou: The Asian Games and the Chinese ‘Gold-Fest’ – Geopolitical Issues for Australia

At the Guangzhou Asian Games, the performances of China's athletes, the officials and the host city of Guangzhou were outstanding. China's journey to the Asian Games in Guangzhou and the accompanying political and sporting machinations throughout are considered in the initial discussion of this essay. The analysis subsequently focuses on Australia's metamorphosis as an ‘Asian’ nation and the sporting, cultural and diplomatic implications this could have for Australia and China. Would this signal Australia's egress from the Commonwealth Games and the Commonwealth per se, thus cutting the British Imperial umbilicus? The presence of Australia at the Asian Games may also enhance the soft power ambitions China has for its engagement in the Asian Games; succeeding in competitions that include a global sports ‘heavyweight’ like Australia would add kudos to the performances of Chinese athletes. How would Australia benefit from this shift? Considering Australia's geopolitical and economic ties with East Asia would an increased level of sporting engagement with China concomitantly produce cultural, economic and political successes? In the long term, Australia may inevitably become part of the post-colonial East Asian world: the future world of power, wealth and geopolitical influence.

Resident Perceptions of Sport Mega-Events: A Host Community Perspective on the Forthcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow 2014

Special events are a popular component of tourism and economic development strategies for communities and regions in many parts of the world. researchers continue to develop an understanding of the positive and negative aspects of the events, and to assess residents' support and their views about impacts. this study compares and contrasts methods and theories behind sport mega-events and attitude variations among residents. the research focuses on residents of Glasgow and the upcoming Commonwealth Games 2014, highlighting their perceptions toward potential impacts. this was achieved by gathering quantitative data via 85 questionnaires and the use of a semistructured interview with a key player involved in planning and organizing for the Games. Data analysis followed the format developed in the article by ritchie, Shipway, and Cleeve. the results indicated that generally residents were supportive of hosting the event, but were concerned over traffic congestion and parking issues and potential increases in tax. Further analysis demonstrated that perceptions were influenced by sociodemographics and external factors such as age, length of residency, involvement in sport, and tourism. It also showed that residents had little involvement or communication in decision making overall. these findings provide a basis for the organizing committee to ensure the engagement of the community as a whole to increase overall support even further. this would help to address issues and concerns of residents and may encourage the development of ideas to help lighten the actual impact of the event on the host community as the report concluded.