In order to give the Commonwealth Games greater stability, the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) announced they will be increasing the number of core sports required at the Games to stabilize costs. Additionally, the CGF made other changes in the name of fairness. The changes below to the sports was meant to stabilize costs while enhancing ParaAthlete & women’s participation. They also added an amendment to their rule book recognizing no discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
The CGC decided to expand the number of core sports from 10 to 16. The new list of core sports includes a larger number of sports for female and for para-athletes. One of the biggest changes is that track cycling will not considered a core event even though it has been included in every Commonwealth Games event since 1934.
The previous list featured only 10 core sports:
- Aquatics (swimming)
- athletics
- badminton
- boxing for men with an option to add women’s events
- hockey for men and women
- lawn bowls
- netball for women
- rugby sevens for men with an option to add women’s
- squash
- weightlifting
The host city also had the option to choose an additional seven from a list which included archery, basketball, cycling, judo, sailing, tenpin bowling, triathlon and wrestling.
The new system allows for 4,500 athletes with 16 core sports rather than 10. The new core 16 sports are:
- Aquatics (swimming and Para swimming)
- athletics, including Para
- badminton
- cycling (road)
- boxing
- artistic gymnastics
- hockey
- judo
- lawn bowls, including Para
- netball
- rugby sevens
- squash
- table tennis
- triathlon
- weightlifting, including para
- freestyle wrestling.
The CGF expects anywhere from 3,800 t0 4,000 athletes represented in the 16 core sports, which leaves anywhere from 500-700 spots available. They can chose as many sports from the list below as long as they do not go over the athlete quota:
- archery recurve
- diving
- basketball, including 3×3 and wheelchair 3×3
- Twenty20 cricket
- mountain biking
- track cycling
- track Para cycling
- rhythmic gymnastic
- shooting, including clay target, full bore, clay target, pistol and small bore
- Para table tennis
- Para triathlon
- beach volleyball
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