Birmingham is the only bidder for 2022 Commonwealth Games

It has just been announced that Birmingham was the only city to apply to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

The deadline recently closed, leaving Birmingham as the only city to submit a bid before Saturday’s deadline. Despite many expectations and expressions of interest, no other cities submitted a bid, leaving the CGF (Commonwealth Games Federation) now with the task of assessing the suitability of Britain's second largest city for hosting this prestigious event.

If Birmingham’s bid is successful, it is estimated that the Commonwealth Games, which are held every four years, will cost at least £750 million. However, this still won’t beat the expense of London’s 2012 Olympics which cost around £9 billion.

Of course, this wouldn’t be the first big sporting event hosted by the city, with past accolades including famous cricket tournament The Ashes, Diamond League athletics, and even Rugby World Cup matches to name but a few.

Let’s also not forget that UoB was the first UK University to offer a sports based degree in 1946 and has produced many top class athletes with current student Lily Owsley and alumni such as Non Stanford and James Rodwell all taking part in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

The CGF are due to meet in Sri Lanka on 5th and 6th October with a final decision expected to be announced by the end of the year.