1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games
Original poster for the Games | |
| Host city | Cardiff, Wales |
|---|---|
| Nations | 35 |
| Athletes | 1122 |
| Events | 94 |
| Opening | 18 July 1958 |
| Closing | 26 July 1958 |
| Opened by | Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh |
| Queen's Baton Final Runner | Ken Jones |
| Main venue | Cardiff Arms Park |
The 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games (Welsh: Gemau Ymerodraeth Prydain a'r Gymanwlad 1958) were held in Cardiff, Wales, from 18 to 26 July 1958. It was the sixth edition of what would come to be known as the Commonwealth Games, the second Games held in the United Kingdom, and the second held under the name British Empire and Commonwealth Games.
Thirty-five nations sent a total of 1,130 athletes and 228 officials to the Cardiff Games and 23 countries and dependencies won medals, including, for the first time, Singapore, Ghana, Kenya and the Isle of Man. 178,000 tickets were eventually sold during the Games.[1]
The Cardiff Games introduced the Queen's Baton Relay, which has been conducted as a prelude to every Commonwealth Games ever since. England topped the medal table.[2]
Venues
The British Empire and Commonwealth Games, including the opening and closing ceremonies, were held at the Cardiff Arms Park.
The following venues were used during the Games.[3]
- Village - Royal Air Force St Athan[4]
- Aquatics - A new Wales Empire Pool was constructed for the event[5][6]
- Athletics - Cardiff Arms Park
- Boxing - Sophia Gardens Pavilion[7]
- Cycling (track) - Maindy Stadium
- Cycling (road) - Ogmore-by-Sea District Loop
- Fencing - Cae'r Castell School
- Lawn bowls - Sophia Gardens and Guest Keen Sports Club
- Rowing - Llyn Padarn in Llanberis
- Weightlifting - Memorial Hall in Barry
- Wrestling - Sophia Gardens Pavilion
Participating teams
36 countries and territories[8] were represented (and 1,100 athletes),[9] being the largest number to date, with a significant number of teams competing for the first time at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games.
At Cardiff Arms Park, an anti-apartheid crowd protested at the all-white South African team; games organisers responded that non-white South Africans were ineligible as their associations were not affiliated to the international federations.[10] South Africa left the Commonwealth in 1961 and next appeared at the Games in 1994.[9]
Participating Commonwealth countries and territories:
- Australia
- Bahama Islands
- Barbados
- British Guiana
- Canada
- Ceylon
- Dominica
- England
- Fiji
- Ghana
- Gibraltar: first appearance
- Hong Kong
- India
- Isle of Man: first appearance
- Jamaica
- Jersey: first appearance
- Kenya
- Malaya
- Malta: first appearance
- Mauritius: first appearance
- New Zealand
- Nigeria
- North Borneo: first appearance
- Northern Ireland
- Northern Rhodesia
- Pakistan
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: first appearance
- Sarawak: first appearance
- Scotland
- Singapore: first appearance
- Sierra Leone: first appearance
- South Africa
- Southern Rhodesia
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Uganda
- Wales (host)
Medal table
* Host nation (Wales)
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | England (ENG) | 29 | 22 | 29 | 80 |
| 2 | Australia (AUS) | 27 | 22 | 17 | 66 |
| 3 | South Africa (SAF) | 13 | 10 | 8 | 31 |
| 4 | Scotland (SCO) | 5 | 5 | 3 | 13 |
| 5 | New Zealand (NZL) | 4 | 6 | 9 | 19 |
| 6 | Jamaica (JAM) | 4 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| 7 | Pakistan (PAK) | 3 | 5 | 2 | 10 |
| 8 | India (IND) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 9 | Singapore (SIN) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 10 | Canada (CAN) | 1 | 10 | 16 | 27 |
| 11 | Wales (WAL)* | 1 | 3 | 7 | 11 |
| 12 | Northern Ireland (NIR) | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| 13 | Bahama Islands (BAH) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Barbados (BAR) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
| 15 | Malaya (MAL) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 16 | Nigeria (NGR) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 17 | British Guiana (BGU) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Uganda (UGA) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 19 | Kenya (KEN) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Southern Rhodesia (SRH) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | |
| Trinidad and Tobago (TTO) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | |
| 22 | Ghana (GHA) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Isle of Man (IOM) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Northern Rhodesia (NRH) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Totals (24 entries) | 94 | 94 | 105 | 293 | |
Sports
- Aquatics ()
- Athletics ()
- Boxing ()
- Cycling ()
- Fencing ()
- Lawn bowls ()
- Rowing ()
- Weightlifting ()
- Wrestling ()
References
- ^ Williams, Stewart, ed. (1973). "Chapter 2: J.H.Morgan reviews fifty years of sport in Cardiff". The Cardiff Book: Volume I. Stewart Williams Publishers. pp. 35–36. ISBN 0-900807-05-9.
- ^ "Full record of all games finals". Western Mail. 28 July 1958. p. 25. Retrieved 11 October 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "The Week's Programme". Western Mail. 7 February 1957. p. 8. Retrieved 5 October 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Gilbraltarian attacked at Gymnasium". Belfast Telegraph. 21 July 1958. p. 12. Retrieved 5 October 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Scots in Wales to learn about Empire Games". Western Mail. 10 April 1958. p. 7. Retrieved 11 October 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Festival Wales plays host to Empire Games". Liverpool Daily Post (Welsh Edition). 22 April 1958. p. 3. Retrieved 11 October 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "A brief history of Sophia Gardens". ESPN. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
- ^ "1958 British Empire & Commonwealth Games". thecgf.com/. Commonwealth Games Federation. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 3 August 2014.
- ^ a b Prior, Neil (19 July 2012). "Cardiff Empire Games 1958: A 'triumph' for Wales". BBC News. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
- ^ Ramsamy, Sam (1991). "Apartheid and Olympism: on the Abolishment of Institutionalized Discrimination in International Sport". In Fernand Landry; Marc Landry; Magdeleine Yerlès (eds.). Sport, the Third Millennium: Proceedings of the International Symposium, Quebec City, Canada, May 21-25, 1990. Presses Université Laval. pp. 539–548: 540. ISBN 9782763772677. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
External links
- "Cardiff 1958". Commonwealthsport.com. Commonwealth Sport.
- "Results and Medalists—1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games". Thecgf.com. Commonwealth Games Federation.
- Pathe news: Commonwealth Games Cardiff 1958 reel 1
- Pathe news: Commonwealth Games Cardiff 1958 reel 2
| Preceded by Vancouver |
British Empire and Commonwealth Games Cardiff VI British Empire and Commonwealth Games |
Succeeded by Perth |