Birmingham has a wealth of existing sports venues, arenas and conference halls that are ideal for hosting sport during the Games. With 95% of the competition venues already in place, Birmingham 2022 will be both prudent and innovative.
An enhanced and refurbished Alexander Stadium will be pivotal to the Birmingham 2022 Games. Already established as an internationally renowned athletics venue and home to UK Athletics, Birmingham will strengthen its reputation as the ‘City of Running’ through improving competition and training facilities at the stadium and increasing permanent seating capacity.
Central to Birmingham’s bid are four indoor arenas: the NEC, NEC Arena, Arena Birmingham and Symphony Hall.
Three of the NEC’s largest halls will host Boxing, Judo, Table Tennis and freestyle Wrestling. The NEC Arena will host Badminton, Arena Birmingham will host Artistic and Rhythmic Gymnastics and Symphony Hall will host Weightlifting and Para Powerlifting.
The new Squash Courts and Hockey Pitches at University of Birmingham, one of the UK’s leading sporting universities, will become the competition venues for Hockey and Squash during Birmingham 2022. Additional University facilities will be used as training venues ahead of the Games.
The only new-build venue proposed in Birmingham’s bid, the new Sandwell Aquatics Centre, will host Swimming, Para Swimming and Diving. Along with the Coventry Indoor Arena, which will host Netball, these venues will ensure that the Birmingham 2022 Games benefit the wider West Midlands region. Rugby 7s will take place at Rugby World Cup 2015 Host Venue, Villa Park Stadium.
Birmingham’s Victoria Square will transform into a sporting and cultural landmark for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, with the city centre location as the venue for 3×3 Basketball and 3×3 Wheelchair Basketball. Set against the historic backdrop of the Council House and Town Hall, 3×3 Basketball in the open-air of Victoria Square, will showcase the city as well as the youngest Commonwealth Games sport.
Royal Leamington Spa’s Victoria Park, home of Bowls England and the English National Bowls Championships, has been revealed as the Lawn Bowls and Para Lawn Bowls venue. The royal titled town’s international standard greens are the annual home of the National Bowls Championships and have hosted two women’s World Bowls Championships, in 1996 and 2004.
Further details of Birmingham 2022’s sports and venues will be announced shortly.
