BIRMINGHAM will be confirmed as the host for the 2022 Commonwealth Games at a media conference in the city this morning.
They were originally awarded to Durban two years ago but the South African city was stripped of the Games earlier in March after running into financial difficulties.
That prompted an abridged bidding contest that soon came down to a head-to-head race for British government backing between Birmingham and Liverpool, which was won by the West Midlands city in September.
But despite being the only city to submit a bid by the Commonwealth Games Federation’s (CGF) deadline of the end of September, Birmingham has had to wait nearly three months to have its victory confirmed.
First, the CGF extended the deadline for bids until the end of November, saying Birmingham’s bid was “not fully compliant”, and then a second delay was announced earlier this month as the CGF sought further guarantees from the city and government.
It is understood the delays were a result of the CGF being concerned about some of the conditions attached to the government’s offer to finance 75 per cent of the estimated £750 million budget and Birmingham’s ability to fund its share.
And having wasted more than two years of a seven-year preparation window on Durban, the CGF was also eager to give itself a few options by bringing more bids to the table – but reported offers from Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur and Canada’s Victoria, however, never emerged.
With recent problems involving disputes with female council staff and refuse collectors over pay, there have been concerns raised about Birmingham’s ability to pay for the Games but it is understood the council has given guarantees to both the government and CGF.
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