Birmingham to host 2022 Commonwealth Games

Birmingham was the only city to submit a bid before the deadline in September, which was rejected by the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) as it was "not fully compliant".

The CGF then introduced a second deadline, to enable other cities across the world to apply for the Games. But the second-city remained the only interested party.

It has now been announced that Birmingham will host the Games which is set to be the biggest and most expensive sports event held in Britain since London 2012 Olympics, with an estimated cost of around £750m.

Birmingham had to beat Liverpool to become Britain's choice for the Games, with the proposal of the UK's largest permanent athletics stadium at the front of the bid.

Problems with choosing a host city began earlier this year.

The South African city of Durban was originally chosen as the host city back in 2015 but the CGF ruled in March that it did not meet their criteria, stripping the city of its event.

Ian Ward, the Birmingham 2022 bid leader and leader of Birmingham City Council, thinks a new athletes village near to Perry Barr could provide 1,000 new homes after the Games have finished. The Alexander Stadium, which hosts the British Athletics Championships every June, will also receive an upgrade.

Neil Rami, Chief Executive of the West Midlands Growth Company and member of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Bid Committee, said:

“Together with the sporting and cultural legacy that hosting the Games will bring in five years’ time, the event will allow the West Midlands to build crucial trade links with Commonwealth nations and other global markets. By hosting a business expo in the period leading up to the Games, the region will show the way, as the face of modern Britain.”

Tim Pile, Chair of Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership, commented:

“It is fantastic news that Birmingham is set to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games, further enhancing the city region’s credentials as a truly global player. This announcement demonstrates real international confidence in Greater Birmingham and Solihull, which is attracting huge levels of investment into major infrastructure and regeneration schemes, and is undergoing significant economic growth as a result. I am positive that the Games will help continue to drive prosperity for both our people and businesses."

Commenting on the results, Paul Thandi, chief executive of NEC Group, said:

“It’s a brilliant early Christmas present to get confirmation today that Birmingham has been selected as host city. Host cities are required to demonstrate world-class sporting facilities and NEC Group is proud to be supplying four of our top venues across Birmingham and Solihull. All our sites had to meet rigorous guidelines around athletes’ needs, technical specifications, seating capacity and Games-time logistics.

“This result is testament to our track record of delivering large-scale international sporting events and investing significantly into our venues to set us apart from our competitors. It also reflects the expertise and professionalism of our people."

Birmingham 2022 venues:

Athletics - Alexander Stadium

Aquatics and diving - New Sandwell Aquatics Centre

Badminton - Genting Arena

Basketball - Victoria Square

Boxing - NEC Hall 1

Gymnastics - Arena Birmingham

Hockey - University of Birmingham

Judo - NEC Hall 4

Lawn Bowls - Victoria Park, Royal Leamington Spa

Netball - Ricoh Arena, Coventry

Rugby 7s - Villa Park

Squash - University of Birmingham

Table tennis - NEC Hall 5

Weightlifting and para powerlifting - Symphony Hall

Wrestling - NEC Hall

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