Birmingham follows in Manchester’s footsteps as Games hosts

BIRMINGHAM will today be confirmed as the host for the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

They were originally awarded to Durban two years ago, but the South African city was stripped of the event earlier in March after running into financial difficulties.

That prompted an abridged bidding contest that soon came down to a head-to-head race for British government backing between Birmingham and a joint Liverpool-Manchester bid, which was won by the West Midlands city in September.

But despite being the only city to submit a bid by the Commonwealth Games Federation’s (CGF) deadline of the end of September, Birmingham has had to wait nearly three months to have its victory confirmed.

First, the CGF extended the deadline for bids until the end of November, saying Birmingham’s bid was ‘not fully compliant’, and then a second delay was announced earlier this month as the CGF sought further guarantees from the city and government.

It is understood the CGF were concerned about some of the conditions attached to the government’s offer to finance 75 per cent of the estimated £750m budget and Birmingham’s ability to fund its share.

The existing Alexander Stadium will be expanded to host the athletics events and ceremonies, and it is hoped that Perry Barr will be transformed in the same way east Manchester was revitalised by hosting the Games the last time they were staged in England in 2002.