January 17, (THEWILL) – A new study by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport of the United Kingdom has revealed that the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games has contributed at least £870 million ($1061 million) to its economy.
It was also found that businesses and communities in the West Midlands region, where Birmingham is based, benefited greatly. Stuart Andrew, the Sports Minister, said: “Birmingham 2022 was tremendously successful in boosting the local economy and bringing people together.
“This report shows that new jobs and investments are just the beginning of the story, with the Games paving the way for future events in the region. The Games put the West Midlands on the global stage, and provided the region with world-class facilities.
“Thanks to Birmingham 2022, the city now has the industry know-how and venues to host the European Athletics Championships in 2026,” Andrew added.
The 2022 Commonwealth Games was held from July 28 to August 8 last year with 6,600 athletes from 72 Commonwealth nations taking part with Nigeria finishing as the best African country. A total of 1.5 million tickets were sold for the event. The event was the largest multi-sport event in the country since London hosted the Olympic Games in 2012.
Birmingham 2022 created thousands of job opportunities with three quarters of the local businesses surveyed saying they got new investments due to the Games. It is claimed that the Games increased the feeling of inclusion and helped the LGBTQ communities in the area.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
