The Third Commonwealth Paraplegic Games was a multi-sport event that was held in Edinburgh, Scotland from 26 July to 1 August 1970. Dubbed the "little games", they followed the 1970 British Commonwealth Games which were held in Edinburgh from 16 to 25 July of that year.
 | |
| Host city | Edinburgh, Scotland |
|---|---|
| Nations | 14 |
| Athletes | 197 (145 Male/52 Female) |
| Sport | 11 |
| Events | 150 |
| Opening | 26 July 1970 |
| Closing | 1 August 1970 |
| Opened by | Edward Heath |
| Main venue | Meadowbank Stadium |
Background and administration edit
The chairman of the Organising Committee was Lieutenant-Colonel John Fraser.[1] It was also known as the "little games" and the "Wheelchair Games".[1][2]
Ceremonies edit
The Games were opened by the British Prime Minister Edward Heath. The opening ceremony was at Meadowbank stadium and was attended by a crowd of 2,000 people.[3] The teams were led in by the hosts of the previous games, Jamaica.[3] On behalf of all the competitors, James Laird, the Scottish team captain, took an oath.[3] A message of support from the Provosts of 28 towns and cities across Scotland was read out, having been relayed from John o' Groats by runners from the Scottish Youth Clubs Association.[3]
The games were closed by James MacKay, Lord Provost of the Edinburgh Corporation.[4]
Participating teams edit
197 athletes from fourteen Commonwealth countries took part.[3] Countries at this games that had not previously participated were Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Malta and Uganda.[1]
Sports edit
Sports included:[3]
- Archery
- Athletics
- Dartchery
- Lawn Bowls
- Pentathlon (Archery, Athletics and Swimming Events)
- Shooting
- Swimming
- Table Tennis
- Weightlifting (Men Only)
- Wheelchair Basketball (Men Only)
- Wheelchair Fencing
Venues edit
The following were the venues for the games:
| Venue | Sport |
|---|---|
| Games Village (RAF Turnhouse) | Archery, Precision Javelin |
| Meadowbank Sports Complex | All other sports including some archery |
| Royal Commonwealth Pool | Swimming |
| Lochend Bowling Green | Lawn Bowls |
| Redcraig Shooting Range | Shooting |
Logistics edit
An athletes' village was located at Turnhouse, with accommodation provided free of charge to the athletes by the Ministry of Defence.[1] The Edinburgh Corporation had supplied fourteen adapted buses, which volunteer drivers used to transport the athletes between venues during the games.[4] Athletics events were held at Meadowbank stadium.[5] Shooting events were held at Redcraigs shooting range in West Lothian.[6] There was some criticism of the lack of day-to-day television coverage from the BBC and ITV broadcasters.[2]
Medal table edit
The final medal table is:[7]
| Nations | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 England
|
48 | 32 | 23 | 103 |
 Australia
|
29 | 31 | 39 | 99 |
 Scotland
|
27 | 29 | 21 | 77 |
 Jamaica
|
25 | 14 | 10 | 49 |
 New Zealand
|
12 | 14 | 4 | 30 |
 Wales
|
5 | 6 | 2 | 13 |
 Ireland
|
1 | 2 | 6 | 9 |
 Uganda
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
 India
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
 Trinidad and Tobago
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
 Malta
|
0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
 Malaysia
|
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
 Canada
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
 British Hong Kong
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 150 | 132 | 107 | 389 |
See also edit
Commonwealth Games hosted in Scotland:
References edit
- ^ a b c d "Premier to open games for invalids". Glasgow Herald. 11 April 1970. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
- ^ a b Elder, Dorothy-Grace (1 August 1970). "Wheelchair Games attack on the B.B.C." The Herald. p. 14. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f "Cheers and praise for the wheel-chair athletes". Glasgow Herald. 27 July 1970. p. 16. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
- ^ a b "Wheelchair athletes close Games on a proud note". Glasgow Herald. 3 August 1970. p. 16. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
- ^ "Paraplegic games: Gold for Mercer". The Herald. 29 July 1970. p. 7. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
- ^ "Paraplegic games: Three gold medals for Scotland". The Herald. 28 July 1970. p. 6. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
- ^ "Third Commonwealth Paraplegic Games – Edinburgh, Scotland 1970". paralympicanorak. 6 February 2013. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
