Did you know there are 53 Commonwealth countries but 71 teams are participating in the 19th Commonwealth Games here? This is among the many interesting facts on the sporting jamboree that will take place Oct 3-14.

The reason why there are 71 teams is that it is games associations that participate, and some nations have more than one Commonwealth Games Association (CGA).

For example, the four home nations of the United Kingdom – England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – send separate teams to the Commonwealth Games while individual teams are also sent from the British Crown dependencies of Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man. This is unlike the Olympic Games where the combined ‘Great Britain’ team represents all four home nations and the Crown dependencies.

Many of the British overseas territories also send their own teams. The Australian external territory of Norfolk Island also sends its own team as do the Cook Islands and Niue, two states in free association with New Zealand.

Other interesting facts:

1. The combined population of Commonwealth countries amounts to 2.1 billion – 30 percent of the world’s population – of which 1.2 billion is in India.

2. The first Commonwealth Games were held in Hamilton in Ontario, Canada, in 1930.

3. Among the participating countries 10 are in Europe, 13 in Oceania, 15 in the Caribbean, eight in Asia, six in the Americas and 19 in Africa.

4. Australia is sending 600 athletes and officials – its largest ever contingent in the history of the Games. Scotland has announced 191 athletes will take part in the Games.

5. The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) established an award to honour the memory of the late David Dixon who served it for 17 years in the capacity of honorary secretary. The award is presented to an outstanding athlete at the Games and is based on performance, fair play and overall contribution to their team’s participation.

6. The inaugural winner in 2002 was Natalie du Toit, a disabled athlete who took four swimming gold medals back home to South Africa. In 2006, the award was presented to Indian shooter Samaresh Jung who won two individual golds in the Men’s 10m Air Pistol and Men’s 50m Pistol, as well as three team golds, one team silver, and one individual bronze. He also set three new Games records.

7. The team games in Commonwealth were first introduced at the 1998 Games in Kuala Lumpur where nations participated in cricket (50 overs game), hockey (men and women), netball (women) and rugby 7′s (men).

8. From the 2014 Games onwards, hockey (men and women), netball (women) and rugby 7′s (men) will be obligatory sports on the CGF sports programme.

9. This is the first time tennis will be part of the Commonwealth Games.

10. Archery will be played in the Games for the first time since 1982.

Hey friends thanks alot for your support and encouragement by visiting my blog, today we together did step a milestone of 100 posts on blog. When I started writing posts in my begening days I never thought that I can keep it up so long and be a regular blogger but all thanks to WORDPRESS, PANKU DAI, KOSHISH DAI and my friends who have commented on my post and helped me to improve towards the better end and make me like my blog more and more. I will keep it up and wish that your help will be always be with me to notify me when I am not keeping my attention or when feeling a bit dizzy with the world and work. I am very happy today because I am a person who always like to prove points and today I feel that I did a bit by continuing the blog because I believed panku and his words are that “Shashi don’t have patience and so its hard for him to stay and concentrate on one thing.” but this blog has shown myself that I can do have patience and the thing is just I need to get a bit of interest in it.

Today was Janmastmi the festival celebrated as the birthday of Lord Krishna. So I had fast and ate food at 12:30 am now, Hardik and Jignesh had come to dorm, and we played cards, as it is a part of today’s festival. We enjoyed it very much and with just a fews days to start of new semester we wanted to have fun so we have also decided for watching movie which is new release and the name is …. I won’t say today, tomorrow after we watch the movie I will share it with you..

Now I am tired because of fast whole day and so need sleep.I almost forgot to share with you that it was birthday of My friend, class mate and my ex-neighbour OWAIS ANJUM, he had invied to his b’day party where I just went and felt sorry for my self because I was not able to eat anything because of my fast, but then god will some day give me even more good food to eat, Ha ha ha ha…. So you all can wish him b’day by commenting on this post which I will share with him as soon  as if find them… Now Good night and fantastic dreams…. Love you the same….