There are 70 nations – yes seventy – in the Commonwealth Games Association. We don't realise how large an event the Commonwealth Games are. Moreover, Commonwealth nations on the most part participate in sports that, although not unique to Commonwealth nations, have a singular affinity with the history of the pre WWII British Empire.
Netball, Cricket and Rugby to name three obvious ones illustrate this anomaly. History reveals that Netball and the nations of the Commonwealth are linked and this is one of the issues as to why Netball is not included in the Olympic movement.
Australia it seems specialises in these type of sports. Australian Rules Football is another that has an even more restricted international exposure, although there is an AFL competition in both the UK and the United States. But once again, Aussie Rules might once again be one of those 'show' sports at the proposed 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
Rugby too has this same difficulty. Although more and more nations are competing in Rugby, the difficulty is that again, it's largely a sport played in Commonwealth nations, although Argentina, France, Italy and Japan are not part of the Commonwealth or ever were part of the British Empire.
One might think therefore that Rugby has a better chance of going one better and make it as an Olympic sport, but it hardly seems likely when Women's Softball which has a far wider international reach was unceremoniously dumped for the 2012 London Olympics.
Cricket too is right in this same mix, although there is a push for Twenty/20 cricket to be included in the 2020 Olympics by none other than retired Australian wicket keeper Adam Gilchrist.
Field Hockey is the exception to all this. The reason is that European nations have had strong historical hockey contingents and if anything, 'Europe are the Olympics'. (This is one of those New World versus Old World reasons that Baseball in the US is referred to as the World Series).
So although sports like Netball, Cricket and Rugby will more than likely get a go at a proposed 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, it remains unlikely at this juncture they will be promoted to the Olympic movement.
All this is a reminder of the value of setting goals.
Reverend Margaret Court the Grand Slam Women's Tennis champion speaking at the Canberra Parliamentary Prayer Breakfast a number of years ago stated that a lack of goals by young people has a direct causal link to youth issues. Margaret Court was spot on and pointed out that setting goals is one of the Christian's greatest strengths which provides purpose and direction in life.
