GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 15: Gold medalists England pose during the medal ceremony for the Netball Gold Medal Match on day 11 of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games at Coomera Indoor Sports Centre on April 15, 2018 on the Gold Coast, Australia. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)
Birmingham 2022 has released the latest version of the competition schedule for the Commonwealth Games, the biggest multi-sport event to be staged in the UK for a decade.
The new information includes the start and finish times for all 286 sessions of the Games, plus information about when the 283 gold medals that are up for grabs will be won.
The sporting action will start in style on Friday 29 July including netball, which will see the Vitality Roses defend the gold medal they won in dramatic fashion at Gold Coast 2018.
Last year organisers confirmed that more medals will be awarded to women than men for the first time ever at a major multi-sport event and Sunday 7 August will be a showcase for women’s team sport in particular, with the medal matches for women’s hockey, cricket T20 and netball all taking place on the same day.
Nigel Huddleston, Minister for Sport, Tourism and Heritage said: “There will be a series of stand-out sessions in this exciting sports programme, not least the fantastic showcase of women’s team sport with hockey, netball and T20 cricket gold medals all being won on the same day.
“The Birmingham Commonwealth Games will provide some of the most memorable moments in what is set to be an incredible year of celebration for the UK in 2022.”
Ama Agbeze, Team England gold medallist and Chair of the Birmingham 2022 Athletes’ Advisory Committee, explained what the new schedule means for the 4,500 athletes that will be looking to compete in Birmingham: “The competition schedule for the Games is really taking shape – not only do we now know which sports will take place on each day but we also know the number of sessions and when those all important medals will be decided.
“This will make the Games even more real for all of the athletes looking to compete at Birmingham 2022, plus it provides the teams with key information to help them plan and prepare.”
The new schedule, which has been finalised following detailed conversations with Games Partners, international federations and broadcasters, has been added to the Birmingham 2022 website, with a dedicated new section allowing eager sports fans to start planning their visit to the West Midlands for the Games.
Ian Reid, Chief Executive of Birmingham 2022 said: “We’re on track to stage a magnificent edition of the Commonwealth Games and we have seen huge interest in tickets in recent weeks. Now more than ever, people are searching for something to look forward to and that is certainly what we will deliver.
“There are millions of sports fans out there who, because of the pandemic, have not been able to attend events for 12 months and with things moving in the right direction, and vaccines being rolled out, we are anticipating a huge amount of interest when our tickets go on sale later in the year.”
To find out more, visit www.birmingham2022.com where you can also sign-up to receive the latest updates about the Games.
