City in sprint finish to bid for Commonwealth Games early Birmingham hopes to host event in 2022 – not 2026 – as Durban pulls out
BIRMINGHAM is to bid to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games after Durban pulled out and the Government called for UK cities to step forward.
The city had initially been preparing a 2026 bid, but is to bring its plans – already at an advanced stage – forward.
The canalside Barclaycard Arena would be transformed into a worldclass cycle velodrome, and Alexander Stadium expanded to create the new 40,000 capacity home of British athletics.
Warwickshire Cricket Club is pushing for a Twenty20 tournament to be included in the Games, with the world-famous Edgbaston Stadium as host.
Meanwhile, the University of Birmingham is investing £70 million in sports facilities and is keen to stage hockey and squash competitions.
Coventry’s Ericsson Exhibition Hall could also stage netball and basketball tournaments, and sites in Staffordshire are also being considered.
Only a competition level aquatics centre is needed and the Birmingham Post understands talks are under way to build one in the Black Country. The plans form part of the vision being laid out as Birmingham’s bid committee confirmed it would go ahead with the 2022 bid.
A feasibility study, currently under wraps, confirms that Birmingham already has 95 per cent of the venues in place and can pull together a successful tournament at relatively short notice and low cost.
The Commonwealth Games Federation hopes to announce the 2022 host city in mid-summer, giving Bir- mingham, as well as its rivals, just three months to push their case.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for the city to do this,” said Birmingham City Council’s deputy leader Ian Ward. “We’re ahead of the game in getting this together. “We have 95 per cent of facilities in place which means, in my view, we can deliver a games at lower cost than anywhere else. “And using existing venues means we will not be lumbered with expensive white elephant facilities afterwards.” Cllr Ward said that an expansion of Alexander Stadium to 40,000 capacity could see it become the home of British athletics, especially as West Ham are looking to make more changes to the London Stadium that is now their Premier League football home. And there is expert knowledge on hand. UK Athletics chief executive Niels de Vos is a member of Birmingham’s bid committee.
Zena Wooldridge, of the University of Birmingham, which this summer hosts the Jamaican athletics team training camp, said: “This is an exciting project. We are looking to host hockey and squash which are two of our high performance sports.”
Warwickshire County Cricket Club chief Neil Snowball added: “Our city has one of the youngest and most diverse populations in the country.
“We absolutely have the ability to host a spectacular Commonwealth Games. Birmingham already hosts world-class sport, including the Cricket World Cup and Ashes at Edgbaston. This takes it to the next level.
“The major cricket nations are all members of the Commonwealth, and women’s T20 cricket was to be included at the Durban Games – so we hope to see Commonwealth Cricket at Edgbaston.”
Birmingham could face UK competition from Liverpool, Manchester and London.
We’re ahead of the game in getting this together. We have 95 per cent of facilities in place Cllr Ian Ward