The first Commonwealth Games Australia Annual General Meeting conducted virtually in the 91-year history of the organisation has been held as Australian sport looks towards a recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

With 621 days to go to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, the meeting featured updates from Australian Team Chef de Mission Petria Thomas OAM and Birmingham 2022 CEO Ian Reid along with addresses from CGA President Ben Houston and CEO Craig Phillips.

The Annual General Meeting also confirmed the re-appointment of Directors Marlene Elliott and David Mandel following an election for their positions.

CGA Directors David Mandel and Marlene Elliott confirmed their re-appointments to the board.

The 2020 Commonwealth Games Australia Annual Report can be read here:

Commonwealth Games Australia President Ben Houston, in presenting the 2020 Annual Report said what started as a year of optimism for sport ended with the postponed Tokyo Olympics and Paralympic Games and months of uncertainty and stress caused by the impacts of COVID-19.

“In any normal Olympic year, the completion of the Paralympic Games would mark the ‘handover’ to Commonwealth Games and would signify an acceleration of plans for our team and our next Games,” Houston said.

“Of course, the postponement of Tokyo 2020 to Tokyo 2021 has delivered many challenges for the international sporting calendar, shifting numerous international events to 2022. The postponement of the Tokyo Games caused the 2021 Commonwealth Youth Games in Trinidad and Tobago to be put on hold to a date to be confirmed and we hope to see this event return in 2023.

“It will hopefully be the only time in our history that a Summer and Winter Olympics and Paralympics, along with many world championships and the Commonwealth Games are held within 12 months but it will create, what our Birmingham 2022 Chef de Mission Petria Thomas has described as, a ‘bumper year of green and gold sport’ in 2021-22.”

Houston expressed his thanks to the CEO’s of the three peak Games bodies and their staff, led by Matt Carroll at the Australian Olympic Committee, Lynne Anderson at Paralympics Australia and CGA CEO Craig Phillips for their work on a range of programs, but primarily the submissions to the Federal government and the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) regarding secure high performance funding through until 2022.

“Securing funding certainty has been a significant boost for our member sports and athletes in a difficult year and I commend our three CEO’s, the government and the AIS for working together for the benefit of our sports and athletes,” Houston said.

He also paid tribute to John Wylie for his tenure as chair of the Australian Sports Commission.

“For the past eight years John has been a friend of the Commonwealth Games Movement and I would also like to thank long serving board member Andrew Plympton who also recently retired from the ASC board.” Houston said.

Houston thanked the Presidents, CEOs and staff of member sports and also extended thanks to the Commonwealth Games Australia board, the CEO and staff for their passion and commitment to progressing Commonwealth sport in Australia.

Chief Executive Officer Craig Phillips highlighted the difficulties of 2020, the strong working relationship of the peak body alliance with the AOC and Paralympics Australia and the disappointment of the postponement of the 2021 Commonwealth Youth Games in Trinidad and Tobago.

Phillips also highlighted the CGA’s continued commitment to funding sports and athletes in preparation for the Birmingham 2022 Games.

“Throughout 2019/20, CGA continued its significant investment in its member National Sports Organisations.  The reporting year was the second year of funding under CGA’s revised funding guidelines with a strong focus on projects designed to support emerging athletes.  Unfortunately, the restrictions imposed on domestic and international travel due to COVID-19 significantly disrupted the delivery of the initiatives planned by NSOs.  CGA remains committed to supporting NSOs with these initiatives once COVID-19 restrictions are eased.”

Commonwealth Games Australia also honoured the memory of former team members who passed away in the last 12 months.