With two years to go for the Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022 – and to mark this major milestone on the countdown – a new venue for the Games has been unveiled…
Smithfield, with its impressive cityscape backdrop, has been chosen as the chosen location to create two bespoke arenas side by side to stage the 3×3 basketball and beach volleyball competitions.
On the official Birmingham 2022 website, the organisers talk about Smithfield which was, previously the site of Birmingham’s Wholesale Markets, and its location at the heart of the city centre. It is said to be ‘a crucial venue creating an urban hub that’s just a short walk from the famous Bullring shopping centre, with views of the Rotunda and Selfridges building.’
The Games have also announced that Beach volleyball will be making its second appearance at a Commonwealth Games after the sport was added to the Birmingham 2022 programme last summer. The Smithfield site, it’s said ‘will provide an interesting contrast to the sport’s first Commonwealth Games appearance on Australia’s Gold Coast, however, organisers revealed that its popularity with a younger audience was one of the main reasons for choosing to add the sport, identifying this as a good fit for a city that is one of the youngest in Europe, with 60% of its residents aged 30 or under.’
Chief Executive Officer for Birmingham 2022, Ian Reid, said:
“Today marks exactly two years to go until the official opening ceremony for Birmingham 2022 and we’re on track with our plans to host a spectacular event which will not only put Birmingham and the West Midlands centre stage but will also be an integral part of the region’s recovery plan following the global pandemic, bringing jobs for local people and contracts for local businesses.
Smithfield is a fantastic location for these two sports, allowing us to bring together thousands of local people and spectators from further afield and enabling us to create a key hub for the Games in the heart of the city centre. It’s currently a blank canvas which will allow us to transform this location into a vibrant venue for two exciting sports that will no doubt bring a festival atmosphere to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.”
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