SAIRA KHAN’S PICK OF THE WEEK

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What a fantastic year of sport it has been so far, and Birmingham has done us proud by hosting the Commonwealth Games, which came to a close last Monday in a spectacular ceremony.

The opening and closing ceremonies showed Britain at its best. Our sporting stars were celebrated by home- grown talent such as Beverley Knight and Ozzy Osbourne as well as royalty.

The closing ceremony was another opportunity for us to show off our rich culture – I especially loved the bhangra dancers. In my opinion, we’re one of the leading nations in the world for celebrating our multiculturalism. That’s what makes us champions.

Birmingham is such a diverse city – you couldn’t have a better place to represent the Commonwealth Games. What is also key for me is that these events are family friendly, with spectators making their own banners and cheering on their home nations. What a joy to watch.

This was Britain’s most successful Commonwealth Games ever; athletes from England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Guernsey won a total of 275 medals, including 85 golds. Huge congratulations to everyone who won a medal – it is something to be super proud of.

The Commonwealth Games are fundamental to shining a light on all the different sports available – from gymnastics and wheelchair basketball to lawn bowls and badminton. If you can see it, you can be inspired by it.

There have been calls for Birmingham to host the Olympics in 2040 and our second city has proved they can do it, just like London did in 2012. I remember that amazing positive energy when London won the bid and I want to experience that again – I want my kids to experience it. It’s great to show the world we have amazing cities outside of London that are equally as capable of putting on huge sporting events. As Prince Edward said about

‘ Birmingham in his speech during the ceremony: “You have inspired us and hopefully future generations. You have also demonstrated what unites us. Thank you, Birmingham.”