Amanda Smith: Today, the future of the Commonwealth Games. In sporting and political terms, are they still relevant, or a colonial relic?

FX (1934 British Empire Games, London): I now declare these Games open! Band plays "Land of Hope and Glory"

Amanda Smith: Hi, I'm Amanda Smith, and today on The Sports Factor, we're going to do a whizz around various Commonwealth countries to see what the ongoing significance of the Commonwealth Games is to the particular sporting and political circumstances of each.

Edward Griffiths: I think very much in South Africa after the years of isolation, when basically an entire generation, if not two generations, grew up without international sports, we'll play wherever anyone wants to play us, and we'll get excited. It's all still pretty new to us. Just put on a major event and we'll be there and we'll do our best.

Amanda Smith: That's Edward Griffiths, who's the head of sport for the South African Broadcasting Corporation. And we'll hear more from him later in the program.

First of all though, let's start at the beginning - in Canada, where the first games, then called the British Empire Games - were held in 1930. Although according to Katharine Moore, a Commonwealth Games historian in Canada, the genesis of an imperial games came much, much earlier than 1930.

Katharine Moore: In print the idea appeared first in 1891 and the man responsible for it, who was a promoter for the rest of his life, was John Astley Cooper. He was actually born in Adelaide in 1858, lived his adult life in England and died there in 1930, six months before the original British Empire Games were held.

Amanda Smith: So the idea did actually originally come from an Australian?

Katharine Moore: Yes, son of an English clergyman, who had come to Australia due to poor health, but born in Adelaide, yes.

Amanda Smith: And what purpose was behind his idea originally?

Katharine Moore: He certainly had fairly grandiose ideas focusing on the Pan Britannic Festival to celebrate industry and culture and athletic achievement. He didn't narrow himself completely to the 'white dominions' as we would know them now. He had the U.S. in his plans as well. So he was looking at countries with predominantly white British backgrounds.

So passing through those 40 years from 1891, there was immense interest in print in this idea, and it remained in the public view in newspapers and periodicals throughout Australia, England and Canada particularly, until early in 1894. But by mid-1894, Baron de Coubertin's plans for the 'revival', as it were, of the Olympic Games began to dominate the international sporting scene, and Cooper's idea was simply overwhelmed. De Coubertin was looking at a much more democratic, world-wide, multi sport festival, and it seemed to have been - as we know - it was a much more popular idea. So Cooper's idea sort of faded into the background in part, although he was active again through his writing.

One of the strongest supporters for the idea was Richard Coombes from Sydney, who was a lifelong and ardent imperialist, and in fact was one of the main players in the lead-up to the 1911 Pan Britannic Festival, which was held in conjunction with the coronation of King George V. This was a small sporting component through a months-long series of celebrations, pageants, and sport had a small but significant part to play in that.

Following that festival, there was very little activity through the rest of that decade, primarily due to World War I, but as the '20s wore on, more and more people within the Empire, as it was then, were looking at the Olympic Games with some hostility. The Americans continued to dominate play in all sports, and the idea of some kind of more private family gathering, this time excluding the Americans, came to be more appealing. And also during the 1920s we see the growing maturity of the dominions in political matters. And in the late 1920s, Canadian officials, led by Bobby Robinson of Hamilton, took the lead to put the Games on, and they were inaugurated in 1930 in Hamilton in August.

Amanda Smith: So Katherine, what was the debate around the status and the future of the British Empire around this time, that the idea of a big imperial sports event was linked to?

Katherine Moore: Countries still wanted to retain some link with England, with the Crown, and yet we see more and more examples of them flexing their wings politically, and wanting to be more independent. And sport became the ideal vehicle, in my opinion, for that still to happen. It was a link, but it was more an informal cultural tie which replaced what I would see as formal political control up to that point.

Amanda Smith: Well with those first British Empire Games in Canada in 1930, where was the energy and enthusiasm coming from for those? Because I understand that England, the seat of the Empire, wasn't actually all that enthusiastic about those games.

Katherine Moore: That certainly is true. The Canadian organisers in the end provided subsidies for travelling for all countries - of course, all came by ship - except for England. So fundraising was done in England independently of aspects that were available within Canada. And I think the English have still been very reluctant leading up to the 1930 Games, although they of course performed very well when the Games were on.

But it may have been the case that they were the centre, and the view from there may look quite different, that they didn't need these colonial activities happening. They had championships in England, in the late 19th century, early 20th century, which were considered the World Championships.

So that's been a very interesting aspect of the maturity of the Games. England of course has only hosted the games once, in 1934.

Amanda Smith: Well was this eventual establishment of the British Empire Games in 1930 more of a symbolic expression of an imperial power and solidarity that actually replaced real imperial political power?

Katherine Moore: Yes, I think so. And if we look forward to today, it's interesting that besides the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings, this is really the only other formal, regular gathering that takes place for the Commonwealth, that I'm aware of. So despite the fact that many people think that the Commonwealth is outdated or needs replacing or major revising, the Games are still very popular, and the numbers increase every year, and next year for the first time, team sports will be introduced into the Commonwealth Games.

Amanda Smith: So do you think there would be less of an idea of Commonwealth around now, were it not for these Games?

Katherine Moore: I think that's maybe a bit of speculation, but yes, I do. I think this is the link which the various disparate countries in the Commonwealth have with each other. And sport has proved a very popular way to express that.

Amanda Smith: Commonwealth Games historian, Katherine Moore, speaking to me there from Edmonton, in Canada. And Katherine's also one of the editors of the Oxford Companion to Australian Sport.

BAND PLAYS, CROWD CHEERS

Commentator: The first country just coming in through the tunnel, the red blazer of Wales, and the red dragon flying high, the emblem since Roman days..

Commentator: ...following Canada is Ceylon. This banner of theirs is based on an ancient device of the King of Kandy - a lion brandishing a sword...

Commentator: Here's Dominica, one of the Windward Isles, a blue ensign with emblems showing a ship in harbour with the sun rising over the hills. Tiny teams, and won't it be a wonderful thing if one of these small countries, the little countries, can take out a gold medal...

Amanda Smith: One of the issues for the Commonwealth Games is that the old 'white' nations of England, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, have dominated, both in the medal tally and as hosts of the Games. That's changing though, because next year's Games, for the first time, are being held in an Asian country - in Malaysia.

But what significance does imperial sport have in modern Malaysia?

Professor Khoo Kay Kim is an authority on traditional Asian sports, at the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur.

Khoo Kay Kim: Well in the first place, I think I have to explain that Malaysians, although they may be aware that modern sport was introduced by the British, do not see sport as a colonial relic. There has never been any problem about that. By and large people are quite happy to have Kuala Lumpur become host of the 1998 Commonwealth Games.

The only reservation, Amanda, we really cannot expect our athletes to compete on equal terms with those from many other countries who are in fact world class. As you may be aware, after the recent SEA Games, our athletes are just SEA Games standard.

Amanda Smith: Yes, well I wanted to ask you, with the establishment of your regional sports festivals like the South East Asian Games that have just finished in Jakarta, and next year Bangkok is hosting the Asian Games - have they taken over as more important, politically and culturally, for Malaysia, than the Commonwealth Games?

Khoo Kay Kim: Politically perhaps, because we are not able to achieve much at a higher level. So we now tend to focus a great deal on the regional games, hoping in a way to make up for the fact that sport actually has declined in standards where Malaysia is concerned. And after the SEA Games in Jakarta, I think one can safely say that sport in general has declined in South East Asia as a whole.

Amanda Smith: Well how is sport viewed in Malayasia, Professor Khoo, in the way that many Western countries as well as countries like China, use sport as an expression of nationalism and as a symbolic expression of political power, is that the case in Malaysia?

Khoo Kay Kim: Well for politicians it seems to be important that they should be patrons of sport. They feel that there is some mileage to be obtained. But for the rest of the people -- sport is still very much important basically in terms of achievement. Malaysians of course, like most people elsewhere, love winners. I have tried to explain to sports officials that the important thing for the man in the street anyway, the important thing about sport is not organisation, but super-heroes. So, so long as Malaysian sports men and women continue to win, they will receive tremendous support from the people, but very often these days, our sports men and women let us down.

Amanda Smith: Now I've been reading about a couple of incidents in Malaysia recently, where under Islamic law three Malaysian women were arrested for taking part in a beauty contest because they were in swimming costumes; and the Religious Affairs Department of Sarawak has banned body-building for Muslim men because they're not supposed to expose their bodies between the navel and the thigh - does all that have any implications for the Commonwealth Games next year?

Khoo Kay Kim: No, not at all. This was just over-zealous action by one or two individuals. Because in the Jakarta SEA Games, one Malaysian won the body-building competition; and as you are aware, in swimming competitions, in gymnastics, the women wear practically the same attire as those in beauty contests. So we really don't have a problem.

Amanda Smith: So you don't see any problems for Muslim Malaysians competing in the Games?

Khoo Kay Kim: Not at all, not at all.

Amanda Smith: Professor Khoo Kay Kim in Kuala Lumpur. Where the smoky haze from the Indonesian forest fires has still been choking the city this week. And that haze is, of course, a big concern for athletes - if it's going to be around again next year while the Commonwealth Games are on there.

This is a question that Di Martin from Radio National's Indian Pacific program put to Malaysia's Tourism Minister, Dato' Sabbaruddin Chik, when he visited Australia last week. Given the source of the fires is Indonesia, what can Malaysia do to prevent a recurrence next year?

Dato' Sabbaruddin Chik: We have been talking to Indonesia, and ASEAN as a whole has agreed to hold a meeting at the Ministerial level, so Ministers responsible for each of the ASEAN countries as far as the environment is concerned will be participating.

Di Martin: What have your Indonesian colleagues told you about the fires in Indonesia? Have they told you that it is something they really can't prevent, or have they told you they'll try harder next year? What have they told you?

Dato' Sabbaruddin Chik: Some of the Indonesian Ministers, including those responsible for the environment, they admit that the fire is caused as the result of open burning. Particularly by those people getting the area ready for felling trees, for the plantation of commercial crops, particularly oil palm.

Di Martin: So there is a human element here that can be controlled? Would you be expecting your Indonesian counterparts to be ensuring that in those areas in Sumatra, and where this burning off has taken place this year, that they go in there and make sure that the permits are enforced and those who can burn off do so in a controlled and safe manner?

Dato' Sabbaruddin Chik: Well I think the President himself is sorry that this has happened and that this has caused some inconvenience to the neighbouring countries, but I reckon he would be very concerned, and I reckon that action will be taken. I think is up to him.

Amanda Smith: Malaysian Minister for Culture, Arts and Tourism, Dato' Sabbaruddin Chik, and the smoky haze problem that threatens the Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur in September next year.

Now let's leap across the globe to another Commonwealth country. South Africa was of course long excluded from international sporting competition, as well as being expelled from the Commonwealth in 1961. Now back on both counts, how important is returning to Commonwealth membership, as well as to the Games, for South Africa?

Edward Griffiths is the General Manager of Sport for the South African Broadcasting Corporation.

Edward Griffiths: I'm not sure whether it's particularly important in itself. If you asked average South Africans what the Commonwealth was, I would have thought that they would have very little idea. I think it's a large sporting festival which we're happy to be part of. I think in a country like Australia, where the links with Britain are much more, if you like, contested, and much more of an issue, it probably has more relevance in that sense. I think as far as South Africa is concerned, it's a sporting festival, a games. We've got an invitation, so let's go along and make the most of it. I don't think people are too worried about whether it's got anything to do with Britain or Malaysia or anything. It's a party basically, it's a festival and we want to go and be part of it.

Amanda Smith: In the way that there are still sporting divisions in South Africa - for example rugby remains a predominantly white game, while soccer is very popular and important for black South Africans - is there any division of perception about the Commonwealth Games along those lines?

Edward Griffiths: I think people might look at it from different angles. Obviously, as you say, the white population probably have a greater level of knowledge about the Commonwealth Games than in the past. I think the pattern of unity through sport in South Africa has been that these sort of periodic, intense moments when the country does come together to support or celebrate some sporting success, has tended to centre around the major showpiece occasions. I think it started with the Rugby World Cup in 1995, followed on with the African Cup and Asian Soccer Tournament in 1996, and then with the successes in Atlanta of Penny Heyns in the swimming, and Josia Thugwane in the marathon. So I think that in a sense, the unity in sport, which as you correctly say is fragile in many respects, has tended to centre around these showpiece occasions, and they are therefore important if you like, in the growth of the nation together; people crossing the divides of years gone by. And in that respect, something like the Commonwealth Games, which will certainly grab the country's attention for ten days in September next year, will be welcome.

Amanda Smith: Nevertheless, are the All Africa Games likely to take over as politically and culturally more important for South Africa to be aligned with than the Commonwealth Games?

Edward Griffiths: I don't think they're exclusive. The Commonwealth Games are in 1998, the All Africa Games is 1999 and then of course with the Olympic Games in Sydney in 2000. So they're in different years, people's sporting memories are pretty short. I mean something comes up, they get excited about it, and they move on to the next thing. So I don't think they're exclusive. I think we're actually pleased to have three major multi- sports events in consecutive years. And in '98 Kuala Lumpur will be the most important and in 1999 the All Africa Games in Johannesburg will be most important, and in 2000 we'll start looking towards Sydney. So I don't think they're exclusive.

I think in a country like Australia, perhaps, where international sport has been around for such a long time, people can say that this one's more important than that one. I think very much in South Africa after the years of isolation, when basically an entire generation, if not two generations grew up without international sport, we'll play wherever anyone wants to play us, and we'll get excited, and it's all still pretty new to us. So I don't think you'll hear too many South Africans complaining about there being too much, or liking one event more than another. Just put on a major event, we'll be there, and we'll do our best.

Amanda Smith: Now Melbourne is of course bidding to host the 2006 Commonwealth Games, and there'll no doubt be a fair amount of lobbying for that by Australian representatives at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Edinburgh over the next day or so. Is there going to be a bid from a South African city to host those 2006 Games, Edward?

Edward Griffiths: Not that I'm aware of. I can't say I could rule it out exactly. I would say that in South African generally, we're still feeling pretty sore that Capetown wasn't awarded the 2004 Olympic Games. And we felt that the Olympic Games would never come to Africa. We put forward a good bid. Nelson Mandela went to make the final presentation. And to end up by getting only 18 votes out of 109 IOC members, I think the whole bidding process for major games has been slightly discredited in the eyes of the South African public.

Having said that, of course the Commonwealth Games is not the same as the Olympic Games, and we certainly feel that we have the stadia, we have the administrative and official capacity, and we have the support to stage excellent international multi-code events.

Amanda Smith: The Commonwealth Games have never been held in South Africa, or indeed any African country for that matter, have they?

Edward Griffiths: No, I think Africa remains the 'dark continent' for these multi-code events. And that in fact was one of the most disappointing factors of our Capetown nightmare in Lausanne, was that we didn't even draw the support of the African members of the IOC. And I know Sydney won the Games for 2000, so I'm sure Australians probably think that the voting process is perfect and couldn't possibly be improved upon, but from our point of view it's irrational and it's almost a contest that's not worth entering.

Amanda Smith: Although from memory, the 1934 Commonwealth Games, or British Empire Games as they were then called, the second of those Games, were originally going to be in Johannesburg, but they were taken away and given to London when non-white South Africans weren't going to be allowed to participate.

Edward Griffiths: Sure. And before 1990 I think it would have been pretty ridiculous to have any major international sporting event in South Africa, and there were very good reasons for the boycott. I think they're pretty much accepted here now, of course they weren't at the time, but they are pretty much accepted here. However we hopefully have moved on from 1934, and we feel that this is now a multicultural society that has the capacity to present major sporting events. And we're hoping that sooner or later we're going to persuade some officials in blazers in 5-star hotels that we're capable of doing it.

Amanda Smith: From Johannesburg, Edward Griffiths, formerly the Chief Executive of the South African Rugby Football Union, and now head of Sport for the SABC.

STARTING GUN

Commentator: Women's hundred yards. Big Barbara Burke, South African champion, streaks out, but Decima Norman's white flash from the west is running away. Bolts like a rabbit - Decima wins, wins marvellously...

Commentator: ... going in, in second place at the moment is Robin Thorne of Australia just leading Mary Stewart of Canada. But look at Fraser, she's got four strokes to swim and she goes one, two, and touches now - Fraser the winner ...

Commentator: ... and she's done, she's done it!

Commentator: ...Bannister is coming up to Landy's elbow. Bannister has passed Landy. Here comes Bannister striding absolutely magnificently, he's got a lead of two yards, three yards, four yards, about 15 yards to go and Bannister breasts the tape now, and Landy second, about three yards behind ...

Amanda Smith: Some big Commonwealth Games moments of the past.

Well now let's turn to the hub of the Commonwealth, Britain, and its constituent countries that compete as separate entities in the Commonwealth Games. How significant are the Games for contemporary Britain? According to sports sociologist, Joe Maguire, Britain's own ties with the Commonwealth may diminish as their identification with Europe, both politically and athletically, strengthens.

Joe Maguire: For those involved in track and field, it's probably the case that the Commonwealth Games carry less significance than the World or Olympic Championships. But also increasingly, it's the case that European Track and Field Championships gain priority. The power base lies in the European Grand Prix which takes place during the summer months. That's where the athletes gain both status, prestige, but also the economic return, both on the track in terms of their performances, but off the track in terms of the endorsements and merchandising opportunities.

So success in a European competition is much more important than if they actually compete in Kuala Lumpur and actually gain a gold, silver or bronze there. Much better to do it in the European Championships.

Amanda Smith: Yes well, I think I remember even in 1982 when Brisbane hosted the Games, I remember that Sebasian Coe, Britain's great middle-distance runner, didn't compete for England in those Brisbane Games, he preferred instead to compete in the European Championships.

Joe Maguire: Indeed, and I think that there will be a number of British athletes who will be doing likewise, because next year the European Championships coincide relatively closely to the Games in Kuala Lumpur. And especially those events which are more demanding - that is, where the recovery for one major championships to another needs to be greater - they'll be making a clear choice, and I would suspect that that choice would be for the European Championships, not for the track and field events in Kuala Lumpur.

That doesn't hold of course for all competitions; there are some sports where you can quite easily compete in both a European and a Commonwealth Games. But track and field has its own particular issues which as I suggested, lie both in terms of the strains which are placed on the athletes, but also the attractions of the European political and economic prizemoney.

Amanda Smith: If that is the case, Joe, then what are the implications for the Commonwealth Games?

Joe Maguire: If the Commonwealth Games doesn't re-design itself, then one would suspect that they will diminish further in importance. If it remains simply a sporting occasion, and if Britain becomes more closely tied with Europe, then one would see the logic unfolding that their destiny lies within European competitions and representing Europe.

The only counter-evidence to that would be that of course these old ties have resonance in family links, which of course will be maintained to a degree. But also they'll be perhaps - will become sleeping memories. That is, only re-awakened at times where particular sports which are not European based, will come to the surface. I'm thinking, of course, the classic example would be cricket - there the old imperial Commonwealth/Empire ties would once again come to the fore. They don't mean much to mainland Europe, they're more significant of course to the British and the Commonwealth nations themselves. But in mainstream sports, international global sports, if Britain's future is with Europe, then the Commonwealth Games may diminish further in importance.

Amanda Smith: Well in general terms, do you see continuing relevance for a multi sports festival comprised of Commonwealth countries?

Joe Maguire: It would be relatively easy to indicate that the Commonwealth Games are a historical anachronism, that it's old historical claptrap. But I think in fact what we have to do is measure the negative, but also the positive, dimensions of sport and the Commonwealth Games in particular. That those Games can be used to improve the human condition both in our own society here in Britain but also more importantly in those societies where clearly human beings are facing a range of disadvantages. Athletes can play a positive role in that if we begin to re-design, reconsider, reconfigure their active participation in sport.

Amanda Smith: Well is there a particular worth or significance that the Commonwealth Games can offer some countries that say, the Olympic Games can't?

Joe Maguire: I wouldn't want to paint too rosy a picture. I'm not suggesting that somehow the Commonwealth Games can bury the old imperial past, that it will solve all of the social ills of the different societies of the Commonwealth. But it can play a part. I think the organisers, once more, have to address the question that if sport is meant to perform some broader function other than playing games, then they have to keep it in the consciousness of people both within Britain and in Commonwealth societies more broadly.

Amanda Smith: And some of those very issues are being raised in an official report on the future of the Commonwealth Games presented to the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Edinburgh this week.

And from the UK, that was sports sociologist Joe Maguire, who was a delegate at the Commonwealth Conference on Sport and Development in Edinburgh a couple of days ago - a pre-CHOGM event.

And that's The Sports Factor for now. I'm Amanda Smith, and I hope you'll be able to join me for The Sports Factor again next week. Talk to you then.

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