The Australian Commonwealth Games Association (ACGA) is the national body responsible for Commonwealth Games

Commonwealth Games

The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....

 operations, publicity and development in Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

, specifically providing and organising funding, clothing, travel, accommodation and accreditation of athletes and officials to each Commonwealth Games. The ACGA is both an incorporated association and a non-profit organisation.

The main functions of the ACGA are to:

• promote the ideals of the Commonwealth Games throughout Australia;
• prepare athletes for the Games by providing support such as funding for international competition;
• select athletes, coaches, managers, medical personnel and officials to be included in the Australian Team at the Games;
• coordinate and manage the participation of Program Sports and their respective athletes and officials at the Commonwealth Games;
• assist with organisation and staging of the 2006 Commonwealth Games to take place in Melbourne;
• contribute to the development of Australia's high performance junior athletes through the Australian Junior Commonwealth Games Squad Program (AJCGS), and through participation in the Commonwealth Youth Games
  Commonwealth Youth Games
  The Commonwealth Youth Games are a small-scale version of the Commonwealth Games, designed for the youth of the 71 Commonwealth countries.-History:...
  
  .

The ACGA was involved in the organisation of the 2004 Commonwealth Youth Games

2004 Commonwealth Youth Games

The 2004 Commonwealth Youth Games were held in Bendigo, Australia. They were the second Commonwealth Youth Games, which are held every four years.- Sports :Sports in this games:*Athletics,*Badminton,*Bowls,*Boxing,*Cycling,*Gymnastics,*Rugby 7's,...

, which were held in the Australian city of Bendigo

Bendigo, Victoria

Bendigo is a major regional city in the state of Victoria, Australia, located very close to the geographical centre of the state and approximately north west of the state capital Melbourne. It is the second largest inland city and fourth most populous city in the state. The estimated urban...

.

History

From the concept of "a British Empire Sports Festival" by the Englishman, J Astley Cooper, the idea was promoted in Australia by B J Parkinson in Victoria

Victoria (Australia)

Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....

 and Richard Coombes

Richard Coombes

Richard Coombes was journalist and father of amateur athletics in Australia.Coombes was born at Hampton Court, Middlesex, England the son of Richard Coombes, hotelkeeper, and his wife Ellen, née Parsons. Coombes was educated at Hampton Grammar School, he was for some years in an insurance office,...

 in New South Wales

New South Wales

New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...

who was President of the Amateur Athletic Union of Australia.

External links

• Australian Commonwealth Games Association (ACGA) website