One of the most prestigious multi-sporting events in the world the Commonwealth Games commences in Gold Coast, Queensland Australia from April 04 2018. The quadrennial event will once again be the stage for the Commonwealth nations to showcase their sporting might. The games which end on the April 15 have always been remembered for the coming together of cultures of the Commonwealth group of nations in addition to the whole bunch of individual and group talent that are on display. Gold Coast was chosen as the host for the 2018 games in Basseterre St Kitts on 11 November 2011.

Why are Commonwealth Games conducted?

The first Commonwealth Games were held in Hamilton, Canada in 1930 and were known as the British Empire games. The British Empire consisted of a number of countries who owed their allegiance to the Queen and shared a lot of fundamentals in common. These countries were known as the Commonwealth group of nations. The whole idea behind holding such an event was to deepen the ties between these nations and long after the disintegration of the British Empire, the games continue to be held every four years in respect of the principles of democracy and equality that bind these countries till date.

What does the 2018 Commonwealth Games have in store for sports lovers?

The 2018 Commonwealth Games will be the fifth time Australia will be holding the games. A total of 6600 athletes and team officials from 70 competing nations will grace the shores of Gold Coast to bring laurels to their country. The games will feature 17 sports which will include 7 para sports and these events will be keenly contested by the participating athletes as 275 Gold medals will be up for grabs. As we all know that these events draw a huge amount of spectators and it is believed that close to one million spectators will watch the games. The intense media coverage for such mega events is not new and the 2018 Commonwealth games too will have roughly 3500 media organizations covering the event and up to 1100 hours of live feed is

expected to be generated from the games which have tremendous economical benefits. The games will also directly or indirectly give 30000 jobs to the local Australian population.

The 2018 Commonwealth Games will see fifteen out of the seventeen sporting event to be held in Gold Coast while Brisbane will host the Track Cycling and Shooting events. Basketball, one of the top attractions at the games will be held at Townsville and Cairns. The slogan for the games ‘Share the Dream'; has also struck a chord with the athletes as representing your country is nothing short of living the dreams of your countrymen.

India at the 2018 Commonwealth Games 

The Indian contingent at the games includes 225 members and will be led by Olympic Silver medalist PV Sindhu who was chosen to be the flag bearer for India at the opening ceremony. She is also one of India’s best bet for a gold medal as her performances on the court bear testimony to the huge opportunity she has in Gold Coast.

Wrestling too has been one of the major strong points of India over the past few sporting events and all eyes will be on Sakshi Malik. Being an unknown face when she bagged a bronze in Rio, the campaign in Australia should see a vastly different and more authoritative Malik. Two-time Olympic medalist Sushil Kumar is also in the fray for a medal and aura around the veteran still exists for good. The other wrestlers in with a chance to grab a medal are Mausam Khatri, Bajrang Punia, and Rahul Aware.

The resurgence of Badminton in India has been truly fantastic and one person who has played a key role in it is Kidambi Srikanth. The ace shuttler has transformed into a massive player with wins in several tournaments in 2017 and is a certainty for a medal. Fellow Indian HS Prannoy and B Sai Parneeth are no pushovers too and the battle for dominance in men’s badminton will be interesting. Shooting is a problem area for India and all eyes would be on Jitu Rai, a former Asian Games and Commonwealth Games gold medalist to propel India’s ship in Gold Coast shooting arena.

In Hockey, Indian men’s team find themselves in a tough group along the likes of England, Pakistan, and Malaysia who are no pushovers. It will be an uphill task for India to top the group and avoid Australia in the semis as they are certain to top their group. Women’s hockey under coach Hardeep Singh is on the rise and may grab a medal for India.

The 2018 Commonwealth Games brings another chance to the sporting greats and the challenges to showcase their wit and grit. It will be a roller coaster ride of emotions and physical endurance with everyone hoping to see their national anthem being played at the podium. It is going to be a magnificent spectacle for viewers and is sure to keep the shutterbugs busy.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 30, 2018 09:28 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).