Major sporting events come to Birmingham
Birmingham will showcase its sporting credentials next month, proving why it has the facilities and experience to host the Commonwealth Games in 2022, as it welcomes three major events.
The IAAF World Indoor Championships, the All England Badminton Open Championships and the Gymnastics World Cup will all be staged at Arena Birmingham.
Cllr Ian Ward, leader of Birmingham City Council, ambitiously said the city has got “an expertise that is unrivalled anywhere in the world when it comes to hosting major world and European sporting events”.
He added: “There’ll be a real buzz in the city centre for sport over that month and we’ll see a real economic benefit to the city as a result.”
The IAAF World Indoor Championships is returning to Arena Birmingham 15 years after it was previously here. This time around 600 athletes from 150 countries will be taking part over four days.
The Yonex All England Open Badminton Championships will put on 155 matches over five days before gymnasts from across the globe arrive for the Gymnastics World Cup over two days later in March.
Arena Birmingham is being transformed into an athletics venue
“It’s just great for us to have such prestigious sports events one after another,” he said.
“There’s the economic impact that is generated by all the athletes, press and officials that come to these events that spins off into the city.
“It’s also really important for the pride of the city as well, there’s a buzz to the city when there are major events taking place.
“We have a great tradition in Birmingham of hosting great events in this Arena, going all the back to 1991 when it opened and it’s good that there’s a culmination this year in the context of Birmingham winning the Commonwealth Games for 2022.”
Gymnast, and Strictly Come Dancing star, Claudia Fragapane and Britain’s number one high jumper Robbie Grabanz were in Birmingham to promote the forthcoming events.
Fragapane, who won four gold medals at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, said: “This is an amazing time to be a sports fan in Birmingham with so many great events coming up and the Commonwealth Games happening here in four years’ time.”
