Reverend Ashley Cooper was the first person to propose the idea of having a Pan-Britannic sporting contest to foster a spirit of goodwill and understanding within the British Empire. In 1928, a key Canadian athlete, Bobby Robinson, was given the task of organizing the first-ever Commonwealth Games. These Games were held in 1930, in the city of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, and saw the participation of 400 athletes from eleven countries.
Since then, the Commonwealth Games have been held every four years, except for the period during the Second World War. The Games have been known by various names such as the British Empire Games, Friendly Games, and British Commonwealth Games. Since 1978, they have been known as the Commonwealth Games. Originally having only single-competition sports, the 1998 Commonwealth Games at Kuala Lumpur saw a major change when team sports such as cricket, hockey, and netball made their first appearance.
