1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games
Multi-sport event in Cardiff, Wales
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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.
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 |
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
- Polo (Demo Sport) - Llandaff Fields
- Rowing - Llyn Padarn in Llanberis
- Showjumping (Demo Sport) - Ninian Park
- 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)
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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 ()
Demo Sports:
Equestrian () 
Polo ()
