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The seventeenth Commonwealth Games took place in Manchester from 25 July to 4 August 2002, with 5000 athletes from 72 nations competing for medals in fourteen individual and three team sports. The new 38,000-seater City of Manchester Stadium , in the east of the city, was the centrepiece of the games, staging the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as the athletics events and the Rugby Sevens competition. It's part of a wider Sportcity development, incorporating the Indoor Tennis Centre and National Squash Centre . The Aquatics Centre , in the city centre, has been purpose-built for the swimming competitions; other events are at a variety of existing and refurbished venues, including the National Cycling Centre (cycling), G-Mex (gymnastics, judo and wrestling), International Convention Centre (weightlifting), Manchester Evening News Arena (netball and boxing), Belle Vue Leisure Centre (hockey) and Salford Quays (triathlon).