Let's extract the opportunities from hosting Â鶹ÊÓƵ 2022
Â鶹ÊÓƵ's Commonwealth Games Programme Director, Craig Cooper, discusses the city’s preparations to host the Games in 2022...
Yesterday (28 July 2020) marked 730 days until Â鶹ÊÓƵ proudly hosts the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Yes, it’s now less than two years to go! Although, that may seem like the distant future, time is flying by and before we know it thousands of the world’s best athletes will be arriving into our city for 11 days of elite level sporting competition.
The Games will be the biggest sporting and cultural event ever held in Â鶹ÊÓƵ, with over one million spectators and an estimated global TV audience of 1.5 billion. It’s going to be a fantastic celebration of sport, culture and business. It’s important to remember the long-term benefits that the 2022 Commonwealth Games will bring for Â鶹ÊÓƵ, the West Midlands and the nation as a whole, which is now even more pertinent given the Covid-19 pandemic. These are the Games for everyone, it is not just 11 days of sport
Over the next two years, we, as the city council, are going to be actively working with local people and communities as closely as possible on the road to Â鶹ÊÓƵ 2022 to make every citizen feel they have ownership of the Games.
During the last few weeks, we’ve been speaking to a number of our young residents to get their views of Â鶹ÊÓƵ and what the city means to them ahead of hosting the Games.
We have engaged with a number of young ambassadors to work with the council to help reach out to the city’s youth. Over the coming weeks, months and years, these youngsters will be visible across Â鶹ÊÓƵ, both physically and digitally as part of a Proud Host City youth engagement strategy called #Btogether.
Our young people are truly inspiring and their views on the city really encapsulate what Â鶹ÊÓƵ is all about. We are diverse, cultural, embracing, understanding and so forth. Their words made me proud and uplifted to be doing the job I am doing!
I truly can’t wait for the Games to begin and the legacy that this global event will create for our city and our people.
Let’s extract every ounce of opportunity from hosting the 22nd Commonwealth Games in 2022.
This blog was posted on 29 July 2020