MELBOURNE 2006

COUNTDOWN TO THE MELBOURNE 2006 COMMONWEALTH GAMES
In March of 2006, Melbourne, Australia will stage what is expected to be the biggest and brightest Commonwealth Games in history.
More than 4,500 Athletes from 72 countries representing almost a third of the world’s population will gather in Melbourne to take part in the XVIII Commonwealth Games.
Even before competition begins, records are expected to be broken simply in the event’s staging as the 2006 Commonwealth Games are on-line to attract the largest-ever Athlete participation. The event is also expected to attract a global television audience in excess of 1 billion people.
In total, the Melbourne 2006 Games Commonwealth Games will feature 16 sports and 24 disciplines. Fourteen of the sixteen sports will be staged at some of the world’s greatest sporting venues within a three-kilometre radius of the city’s CBD.

Melbourne will introduce basketball to the sports program for the first time at the 2006 Commonwealth Games and after making their debut in Manchester in 2002, table tennis, mountain-biking and triathlon will also return.
The Opening and Closing Ceremonies will be the biggest events of their kind ever staged in the State of Victoria and will feature a cast of 6000 volunteers on stage and 800 backstage working alongside some of the world’s top performers.

During Games time, a free, twelve day cultural entertainment program will fill Melbourne’s parks and gardens to capacity. For the first time, the entire CBD and Melbourne Park Precinct will join with Birrarung Marr and the Yarra Banks Arts Precinct transforming the city into one giant celebration zone.
Melbourne is a city with a worldwide reputation for its fanatical following of sport. Its history of staging major sporting events is testimony to the high standards of its venues and the enthusiasm of the population who support events in great numbers.
The Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games was hold from 15-26 March 2006.