The year 2018 has started with a bang.
In terms of sport and the Commonwealth countries, this is the year of the XXI Commonwealth Games 2018 taking place on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia between the 4 and the 15 April 2018. It is classified as an international multi-sport event for members of the Commonwealth that will be held on the Gold Coast. This event was first held in 1930 and has taken place every four years (with the exception of 1942 and 1946, which were cancelled due to World War II). Although there are 52 members of the Commonwealth of Nations, 70 teams participate in the Commonwealth Games, as a number of dependent territories compete under their own flags. The four Home Nations of the United Kingdom—England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland—also send separate teams. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_Games)
Teams are being announced, athletes, coaches and teams are currently in their last few months of preparation, clothing is being finalized and excitement is starting to escalate.
The Commonwealth Games is being held very early in the year as it is being hosted in the southern hemisphere, which expects athletes, coaches and teams to prepare and be open to change. Training with change and opportunity is the most important tool for an athlete in whichever sport they compete in.
For an athlete of any age, the trials leading up to, as well as the actual Commonwealth Games serves as a good stepping stone, to finding who the possible Olympic hopefuls are. Set halfway between the 4-year Olympic cycle, it allows for the generations to come and go, prepare adequately and gauge where it is in their specific cycle of physical possibility and training they fall.
The Commonwealth Games has always had a feeling of Friendship and camaraderie - more than any other International competition which is totally befitting as they strive for the three pillars of Humanity, Destiny, Equality. A friendly and exciting games is definitely expected from the athletes performing under pressure.
Further to this, the David Dixon Award is given to the outstanding athlete of each Commonwealth Games, based on their performance at the event, fair play, and overall contribution to their team's participation at the Commonwealth Games.
The award was introduced in the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester and is named after the former honorary secretary of the Commonwealth Games Federation for 17 years, David Dixon.
So, 6,500 athletes and officials; over 70 countries; 11 days;17 sports; television audience of over one billion; hundreds of thousands of spectators – this year is all about the XXI Commonwealth Games FOR THE commonwealth Countries. Let’s get behind our athletes.
The SportsPodium Team
Our Website https://sportspodium.io/
Telegram https://t.me/SportsPodiumPublic
GitHub https://github.com/SportsPodium/Documentation
Twitter https://twitter.com/@mysportspodium
Our Blog https://steemit.com/@sportspodium