The 1998 XVI Commonwealth Games were held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 11 to 21 September 1998. The 1998 games were the first held in an Asian country and the last Commonwealth Games of the 20th century. This was also the first time the games took place in a country with a head of state other than the Head of the Commonwealth. A record 69 nations (34 of which collected medals) competed, with 3,638 athletes participating.