Birmingham shows the Games must go on

The Commonwealth Games are going to be with us for at least another eight years – and why shouldn’t they? The 22nd edition of the event which ended in Birmingham yesterday was a success for the New Zealand team, which won more medals than at any Games bar Auckland in 1990, and more gold than ever before.

What was more important for the Games was that Birmingham embraced it and showed that while it may not be a world championships or an Olympics, it still held massive appeal for sports fans.

It’s understood Games organisers were hoping to sell more than one million tickets over the 11 days, and ended up getting close to the 1.5m mark.

Stadiums were packed to capacity – some as large as

32,000 – at athletics, swimming, boxing, hockey and netball, while spectators lined the triathlon and road cycling courses.

Star English swimmer Tom Dean said it was the first time he’d been in a competition where he could hear the crowd while underwater.

More than two million visitors flocked to the city and surrounding regions and cafe´s and bars were packed all day on ‘Super Saturday’ as the event reached its climax.

Given the late stage Birmingham was awarded the event – the city essentially picked up a baton dropped by Durban – it’s been a gold medal display.

Should Auckland make a bid as future host?

Sports Minister Grant Robertson was in fully non-committal mode when asked about a possible crack at the 2034 Games, after the Australian state of Victoria becomes the next host and the first Games city, Hamilton in Canada, is lined up for a centenary reunion in 2030.

Any bid would require a realistic risk assessment and again open up the debate on a waterfront stadium.

Birmingham invested in a new venue for the swimming and the Sandwell Aquatics Centre will open to the public next year, while Alexander Stadium’s surrounding areas – referred to in local media as gangland territory – received more than £700m before the Games.

There has always been something a bit different about a Commonwealth Games.

Maybe because the competitors know the stakes aren’t as high for many athletes, who have pinnacle events circled more heavily on the calendar. But don’t think it doesn’t matter.

The environment also appears to have allowed many NZ athletes to flourish.

Lewis Clareburt won two gold and a bronze and coach Gary Hollywood said they’d treated Birmingham as their pinnacle event of 2022.

Paul Coll has won two British Opens but was more nervous and excited and joyous about the Games than any competition he’s played in.

The White Ferns were unable to produce results at home earlier this year in the World Cup but gave Australia a fright before thumping hosts England to collect a bronze medal.

Sam Tanner was rightly overjoyed by taking three seconds off his 1500m time and plenty of other Kiwis who recorded personal bests over the past 11 days.

The Commonwealth Games doesn’t need to be anything more than what it is.