The Commonwealth Games Federation’s executive board has approved proposals for three new sports to be included at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England.
Beach volleyball, Para table tennis and women’s Twenty20 cricket have been recommended for inclusion in the 2022 programme.
The plans will now be put to a final vote of the CGF’s general assembly, which is made up of the 71 member Commonwealth Games Associations.
Birmingham’s Edgbaston Stadium, where all of the women’s cricket matches would be played, is currently hosting matches at the ICC Cricket World Cup and will also host the opening Test match of the Ashes series between England and Australia.
In a statement Ian Reid, CEO of Birmingham 2022, said: “Ever since the sports programme for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games was announced, there has been interest from all five optional sports that were not originally selected by Birmingham’s bid team and we are grateful to all of the sports for their participation and enthusiasm during this review process.
“Our recommendation of adding women’s cricket, beach volleyball and Para table tennis is the result of a thorough review and we believe these sports would help us to enhance the existing programme and reach new audiences, while showcasing the sports to our local community, spectators and fans across the world, watching on TV.
“It’s also a selection that could help ensure that the 2022 Commonwealth Games will be the most inclusive in history, with a potential for the largest ever para-sports programme and more female medallists than ever before, representing a great story not just for Birmingham 2022, but for women’s sport in general.”
The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will be held from 27 July to 7 August.
Image: birmingham2022.com