MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Commonwealth Games confident on a host; Birmingham 2022, “complete success for UK economy”

CGF President, Chris Jenkins OBE, said: “Birmingham 2022 was a spectacular, record-breaking Games that created iconic moments on and off the field, uniting the Commonwealth through sport.”

The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) has confirmed that it is considering multiple proposals to Host the 2026 Games, so it was announced following the April meeting of the Executive Board, with confirmation by the end of the month. And in related news UK Department for Sports highlighted the financial success of the Birmingham Games in 2022.

Significant progress has been made and we are excited by the early concepts, which aim to reset and reframe the Games. We are now working collaboratively with the relevant Commonwealth Games Associations (CGAs) to undertake further detailed assessments, and aim to announce the 2026 Commonwealth Games Host in May. Our CGAs have asked, and we have agreed, to keep their proposals confidential while this process is on-going,“ reported the CGF Board.

The CGF also thanked all CGAs who have been involved in the process for their hard work and commitment to the Commonwealth Sport Movement, as well as athletes, International Federations, National Governing Bodies and wider stakeholders for their continued patience and support.

Work to refresh the Games has also been undertaken, the Strategic Plan, 2023-2034, including exploring innovative new concepts and event opportunities and consulting with leaders across the global sporting landscape.

”Importantly, we have been focusing on how we can transform the Games to a collaborative and truly sustainable model, minimizing costs and reducing its environmental footprint, whilst increasing social impact. Through this work we aim to create a modern, flexible blueprint for the future that inspires athletes, excites International Federations and potential Hosts, and is in the best interests of the wider Commonwealth Sport Movement”.

Meanwhile in related news the UK Department for Culture, Media and Sport, DCMS, has reported that the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games contributed almost £ 1.2billion to the UK economy. The report, one year on from the Games, advises that the economy had grown, new jobs had been created and future generations will see a lasting legacy in the West Midlands region.

Held between 28 July and 8 August 2022, the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games brought together 6,600 athletes and team officials from across 72 Commonwealth nations and territories.

The Games not only contributed approximately £1.2 billion to the UK economy, with nearly half of that in the West Midlands alone but also created 22,380 full time equivalent years of employment. Falklands participated with a significant delegation.

CGF President, Chris Jenkins OBE, said: “Birmingham 2022 was a spectacular, record-breaking Games that created iconic moments on and off the field, uniting the Commonwealth through sport. The first major multi-sport event in history to award more medals to women than men, with the largest ever fully integrated program of Para sport, it captivated more than 1.5 million attending fans and had a global TV audience with interest well beyond the Commonwealth nations.

“It was so much more than 11 days of sporting competition. The report outlines the positive impact and lasting legacy of the Games, which contributed £1.2 billion to the UK economy and £79.5 million in social value. It drove trade and investment, created jobs and boosted tourism, with visitor numbers to Birmingham and the West Midlands in 2022 the highest on record. From increased civic pride and social cohesion to promoting community sport participation, the Games were truly transformational.”

The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games was the biggest multi-sport event to be held in England since London 2012 and broke the record for ticket sales at a Commonwealth Games, which contributed to a 6% increase in visitor numbers to Birmingham when compared to pre-pandemic levels. In addition, the Games received global TV views of 834.9 million, over 215 million digital views and 141 million interactions on social media.

The Games were delivered on time and under budget, with £70 million of surplus funding being reinvested in the West Midlands region as part of the Commonwealth Games Legacy Enhancement Fund to support business growth, inspire young people through programs and projects, and financially support grassroots organizations.

In addition, the West Midlands region saw a 27 per cent increase in Foreign Direct Investment projects between 2021/22 and 2022/23, almost 7 times higher than the rest of the UK (4%).

The evaluation report also sets out that the Games had a positive impact on the regeneration of the Perry Barr area in the north of Birmingham. This includes transport infrastructure improvements and the upgrade to the Alexander Stadium, which is now open for community use and will also host the European Athletics Championships in 2026, the first time that event will ever have been held in the UK.