2022 Commonwealth Games facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
XXII Commonwealth Games

Country	England
Motto	Sport is just the beginning
Events	280 in 20 sports
Anthem	Champion, UB40 featuring Dapz on the Map and Gilly G
Main venue	Alexander Stadium
← XXI XXIII →

The 2022 Commonwealth Games, also called Birmingham 2022, was a huge international sports event. It brought together athletes from countries that are part of the Commonwealth of Nations. These exciting games took place in Birmingham, England, from July 28 to August 8, 2022.

Birmingham was chosen to host the games on December 21, 2017. This was the third time England hosted the Commonwealth Games. Before this, London hosted in 1934 and Manchester in 2002. The UK has hosted the games seven times in total.

The 2022 Games were the biggest ever! There were 72 countries taking part, and 1.2 million tickets were sold. It was also the first major international sports event where para-athletes (athletes with disabilities) and non-para athletes competed at the same time. This means it was a truly integrated event. Plus, for the first time, there were more gold medals for women than for men.

Alongside the sports, a fun cultural festival happened across the West Midlands area. There were also many trade events.

Choosing the Host City

The Birmingham 2022 flag in Victoria Square, Birmingham, in January 2018.

At first, two cities wanted to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games: Durban in South Africa and Edmonton in Canada. Edmonton decided not to bid in February 2015. This left Durban as the only city wanting to host.

Durban was initially chosen to host the games because they were the only city that bid. It would have been the first time the games were held in Africa. The games were planned to start on July 18, 2022, which is the birthday of Nelson Mandela, a famous former president of South Africa.

However, in February 2017, there were reports that Durban might not be able to host the games. This was because of money problems. On March 13, 2017, it was confirmed that Durban could not host. So, the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) took away their right to host.

The Library of Birmingham lit up to celebrate Birmingham winning the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

The search for a new host city began in March 2017. English cities like Birmingham and Liverpool showed interest. Manchester also thought about hosting. There was even an idea for Birmingham, Liverpool, London, and Manchester to bid together.

In April 2017, the British Government asked cities to send in their plans for hosting. Only Birmingham and Liverpool officially applied. London decided not to bid because it was busy preparing for other big athletics events. Manchester also decided not to bid alone but said it could help other English cities host.

In September 2017, Birmingham was chosen over Liverpool to be England's recommended bid. The CGF set a deadline of September 30, 2017, for bids. Commonwealth Games England sent Birmingham's bid before the deadline. However, the bid needed more information, so the deadline was moved to November 30, 2017. The CGF had 170 questions about Birmingham's plan.

Finally, on December 21, 2017, Birmingham was officially chosen to host the 2022 Games. This happened after Durban could no longer host. Louise Martin, the president of the CGF, made the announcement in Birmingham.

2022 Commonwealth Games Bidding Results

City	Nation	Votes
Birmingham	England	Unanimous (2017)
Durban	South Africa	Sole Bidder (2015) Withdrew (2017)

Getting Ready for the Games

The Birmingham Organising Committee for the 2022 Commonwealth Games (BOCCG) was in charge of planning and running the Games. This included everything from managing sports and venues to selling tickets and organizing the ceremonies. Their main office was in Birmingham.

In March 2018, the BOCCG paid £25 million (about $35 million) to the CGF. This fee was for the right to host the Games and to help develop sports in the Commonwealth.

In July 2018, John Crabtree was chosen to lead the BOCCG. In January 2019, Ian Reid became the chief executive officer. The British Government also passed a law called the Commonwealth Games Act 2020. This law helped make sure tickets were sold properly, transport around venues worked well, and money was managed correctly.

In June 2020, the Games schedule was changed by one day. This was to avoid clashing with other big sports events that had been moved because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Athletes and officials had to test negative for COVID-19 before and after arriving. If someone got sick during the Games, it was handled case by case.

Where Athletes Stayed

On August 11, 2020, the BOCCG announced that athletes and team officials would stay in three "campus" villages. These villages were close to the competition venues. They were located at the University of Birmingham, the University of Warwick, and the NEC Hotel Campus. About 1,600 people stayed at the NEC, 1,900 at the University of Warwick, and 2,800 at the University of Birmingham.

Getting Around Birmingham

Part of the A34 flyover in Perry Barr, which was later taken down.

The A34 flyover in Perry Barr was taken down. In its place, a new dual carriageway, a cycle path, and better public transport services were built. This project cost £27.1 million.

The city council also announced that an existing bus depot in Perry Barr would be removed. This land was needed for the second part of the athletes' village. A new bus depot was built nearby, costing £16 million.

University Station, which was renovated for the Games.

The University railway station, which serves the University of Birmingham, was renovated. This was ready in time for the Games. The University of Birmingham hosted hockey and squash events. The station renovation cost about £56 million, with £12 million from the British Government.

Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) created the city's first continuous cross-city bus route for the Games. This new "Sprint" bus route offered express service between Walsall and Birmingham Airport and Solihull. It used zero-emission buses and had special lanes and signals to make journeys faster and more reliable.

How Much Did It Cost?

The official countdown clock for the Games in Centenary Square.

When Birmingham first bid, they estimated the event would cost £750 million. On June 25, 2019, the British Government announced the event would cost £778 million. The government paid 75% (£594 million), and Birmingham City Council paid the remaining 25% (£184 million). This budget was less than the 2018 Gold Coast Games but more than the 2014 Glasgow Games. It was the most expensive sports event in the UK since the 2012 London Olympics.

Getting Tickets

Over 1 million tickets were expected to be sold for the Games. People living locally could apply for tickets starting July 14, 2021. The main public ticket sale ran from September 8 to September 30.

Safety and Security

The West Midlands Police said about 3,000 officers would be on duty to keep the 2022 Commonwealth Games safe. One thousand officers were from West Midlands Police, and 2,000 came from other UK police forces to help.

Queen's Baton Relay

The baton held by Governor-General of New Zealand Cindy Kiro and viceregal consort Richard Davies.

The Queen's baton for the 2022 Commonwealth Games was shown for the first time on September 29, 2021. It was designed by several groups and made from copper, aluminum, and brass to look like medals. It also had a strip of platinum to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.

The baton had cool technology inside! It had a 360-degree camera, LED lights that changed with a heart rate monitor, and sensors to record environmental data. This data was later studied by experts at the University of Birmingham.

Laura Nyahuye, one of the artists, said the baton was made to connect with all the Commonwealth countries. It used copper, which changes color over time, to show the journey's "authenticity and honesty."

The relay started on October 7, 2021, at Buckingham Palace in London. It lasted for 294 days, traveling through 72 Commonwealth nations. Queen Elizabeth II placed her message inside the baton and gave it to British Paralympic athlete Kadeena Cox. During the opening ceremony, the baton was given to Charles, Prince of Wales, who read the Queen's message to officially open the Games.

Where the Games Happened

Alexander Stadium under renovation for the Games (September 2021).

Birmingham 2022 used 15 venues across the West Midlands region. Seven of these, including the athletics stadium, were in Birmingham city. The National Exhibition Centre (NEC) complex, just outside Birmingham, hosted events in its halls and at the NEC Arena. Other places like Coventry, Cannock Chase, Royal Leamington Spa, Sandwell, Warwick, and Wolverhampton also hosted events. One venue, the Lee Valley VeloPark in London, hosted track cycling.

Here are some of the main places where the Games took place:

• Birmingham
  • Alexander Stadium (renovated) – Opening and Closing Ceremonies, Athletics
  • Arena Birmingham (already existed) – Gymnastics
  • Edgbaston Cricket Ground (already existed) – Cricket
  • Smithfield Market (new temporary stadiums) – 3x3 Basketball, 3x3 Wheelchair Basketball, Beach Volleyball
  • Sutton Park (already existed) – Triathlon
  • University of Birmingham Squash Centre (already existed) – Hockey, Squash
  • Victoria Square (already existed) – Marathon (finish line)
• West Midlands Region
  • Cannock Chase, Staffordshire (already existed) – Cycling (Mountain Bike, Road, Time Trial)
  • Coventry Arena (already existed) – Rugby Sevens, Judo, Wrestling
  • Victoria Park Bowling Greens, Leamington Spa (already existed) – Lawn Bowls
  • Sandwell Aquatics Centre (newly built) – Aquatics
  • National Exhibition Centre, Solihull (already existed)
    • Hall 1 – Weightlifting, Para Powerlifting
    • Hall 3 – Table Tennis, Para Table Tennis
    • Hall 4 – Boxing
    • Hall 5 – Badminton
    • Arena – Netball
  • Myton Fields (already existed) – Cycling (Road Race)
  • West Park, Wolverhampton (already existed) – Cycling (Time Trials)
• Greater London
  • Lee Valley VeloPark, London (already existed) – Cycling (Track)

Ceremonies

Opening Ceremony

The opening ceremonies for the 2022 Commonwealth Games were held at Alexander Stadium on July 28, 2022. Director Iqbal Khan said the ceremony would show Birmingham's "vivid and vibrant confidence." The famous band Duran Duran, from Birmingham, was the main act. Tony Iommi from Black Sabbath, also from Birmingham, performed with Soweto Kinch.

Closing Ceremony

The closing ceremony took place on August 8, 2022, at Alexander Stadium. It included a special handover to the Australian state of Victoria, which will host the 2026 Commonwealth Games. The ceremony honored Birmingham's industrial past and the Windrush generation. It also featured a tribute to the Birmingham TV show Peaky Blinders. Many famous musicians from the West Midlands performed, including Dexys Midnight Runners, UB40, Panjabi MC, Musical Youth, Goldie, Beverley Knight, Apache Indian, Jorja Smith, The Selecter, and Laura Mvula. The show ended with a surprise appearance by Ozzy Osbourne, who performed live for the first time in three years. He was joined by Tony Iommi and former touring members of Black Sabbath.

Participating Countries

All 72 Commonwealth Games Associations sent athletes to the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Participating Commonwealth Games Associations

Anguilla (13)  Antigua and Barbuda (13)  Australia (427)  Bahamas (28)  Bangladesh (30)  Barbados (65)  Belize (13)  Bermuda (17)  Botswana (36)  British Virgin Islands (19)  Brunei (7)  Cameroon (36)  Canada (269)  Cayman Islands (21)  Cook Islands (18)  Cyprus (53)  Dominica (11)  England (438) (Host)  Eswatini (12)  Falkland Islands (16)  Fiji (64)  The Gambia (16)  Ghana (101)  Gibraltar (23)  Grenada (14)  Guernsey (28)  Guyana (32)  India (210)  Isle of Man (34)  Jamaica (120)  Jersey (28)  Kenya (123)  Kiribati (6)  Lesotho (21)  Malawi (22)  Malaysia (103)  Maldives (24)  Malta (29)  Mauritius (62)  Montserrat (5)  Mozambique (14)  Namibia (33)  Nauru (16)  New Zealand (233)  Nigeria (94)  Niue (15)  Norfolk Island (10)  Northern Ireland (97)  Pakistan (68)  Papua New Guinea (34)  Rwanda (16)  Saint Helena (11)  Saint Kitts and Nevis (6)  Saint Lucia (13)  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (21)  Samoa (38)  Scotland (254)  Seychelles (27)  Sierra Leone (27)  Singapore (67)  Solomon Islands (19)  South Africa (228)  Sri Lanka (110)  Tanzania (17)  Tonga (28)  Trinidad and Tobago (72)  Turks and Caicos Islands (11)  Tuvalu (6)  Uganda (77)  Vanuatu (17)  Wales (201)  Zambia (41) The number of athletes from each country is: Country Athletes  England 438  Australia 427  Canada 269  Scotland 254  New Zealand 233  South Africa 228  India 210  Wales 201  Kenya 123  Jamaica 120  Sri Lanka 110  Malaysia 103  Ghana 101  Northern Ireland 97  Nigeria 94  Uganda 77  Trinidad and Tobago 72  Pakistan 68  Singapore 67  Barbados 65  Fiji 64  Mauritius 62  Cyprus 53  Zambia 41  Samoa 38  Botswana 36  Cameroon 36  Isle of Man 34  Papua New Guinea 34  Namibia 33  Guyana 32  Bangladesh 30  Malta 29  Bahamas 28  Guernsey 28  Jersey 28  Tonga 28  Seychelles 27  Sierra Leone 27  Maldives 24  Gibraltar 23  Malawi 22  Cayman Islands 21  Lesotho 21  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 21  Solomon Islands 21  British Virgin Islands 19  Cook Islands 18  Bermuda 17  Tanzania 17  Vanuatu 17  Falkland Islands 16  The Gambia 16  Nauru 16  Rwanda 16  Niue 15  Grenada 14  Mozambique 14  Anguilla 13  Antigua and Barbuda 13  Belize 13  Saint Lucia 13  Eswatini 12  Dominica 11  Saint Helena 11  Turks and Caicos Islands 11  Norfolk Island 10  Brunei 7  Kiribati 6  Saint Kitts and Nevis 6  Tuvalu 6  Montserrat 5 Sports at the Games A new set of rules for the Commonwealth Games came into effect for these Games. Ten "core" sports were always included: athletics, badminton, boxing, hockey, lawn bowls, netball (for women), rugby sevens, squash, swimming, and weightlifting. Five new sports were added to the core list: road cycling, judo, triathlon, table tennis, and wrestling. The rules also said that events for para-athletes (athletes with disabilities) must be part of four core sports: athletics, lawn bowls, swimming, and weightlifting (which includes a type of powerlifting). The rules also listed "optional" sports that could be chosen for each Games. These included archery, basketball (3x3), beach volleyball, other types of cycling, rhythmic gymnastics, and shooting. Special events for para-athletes were also optional, like wheelchair basketball (3x3). There could be no more than four team sports. If 3x3 basketball was chosen, then wheelchair 3x3 basketball also had to be included. New Sports and Changes On December 22, 2017, the BBC reported that organizers were talking about including women's cricket. In November 2018, the International Cricket Council (ICC) confirmed they wanted women's cricket to be in the Games. It was also thought that shooting might not be included because there weren't enough facilities near Birmingham. Shooting had been in every Commonwealth Games since 1974. In January 2018, it was confirmed that shooting would be dropped. In December 2018, the World Archery Federation (WA) also suggested that archery be included. They even suggested Aston Hall as a place for the competition. In June 2019, the Birmingham organizing committee suggested adding two more sports: para table tennis and beach volleyball. The CGF board approved this idea. On August 13, 2019, the CGF officially announced that women's T20 cricket, beach volleyball, and para table tennis were added to the Games. However, shooting was not included due to venue issues, and the idea to add archery was turned down. Birmingham 2022 Sports List With the new rules and choices, some big changes happened from the 2018 Gold Coast Games. Judo became a core sport. Also, the local organizers chose to have a women's cricket tournament, using local facilities. Cricket returned to the Games for the first time in 24 years, and it was only for women. New events at Birmingham 2022 included 3x3 basketball and its wheelchair version. Birmingham had the most events ever for women and athletes with disabilities in the history of the Games. In October 2020, the full list of events was shared. The final schedule had 280 finals across 20 sports. This included 136 events for women and 134 for men, showing a great balance between genders. There were also 10 mixed-gender events and 39 events for para-athletes. Here is the final list of sports, with the number of events in each: Aquatics Diving (12) Swimming (52) Athletics (58) Badminton (6) 3x3 basketball (4) Beach volleyball (2) Boxing (16) Cricket (1) Cycling Mountain biking (2) Road cycling (4) Track cycling (20) Gymnastics Artistic gymnastics (14) Rhythmic gymnastics (6) Field hockey (2) Judo (14) Lawn bowls (11) Netball (1) Para powerlifting (4) Rugby sevens (2) Squash (5) Table tennis (11) Triathlon (5) Weightlifting (16) Wrestling (12) Other Competitions In January 2020, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) suggested holding a combined archery and shooting championship in Chandigarh, India, in January 2022. This idea was supported by many sports groups and the Indian government. The CGF approved this plan. It was decided that these championships and the Birmingham 2022 Games would be two separate events. However, in July 2021, this event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in India. In February 2022, the CGF announced that esports (video game competitions) would be a demonstration event at the Games. This means esports might be added to future Games. The first Commonwealth Esports Championship had its own branding, medals, and organization. It included men's and women's Dota 2, eFootball, and Rocket League events. Calendar The schedule is as follows: All times and dates use British Summer Time (UTC+1) OC Opening ceremony ● Event competitions 1 Gold medal events CC Closing ceremony July/August 2022 July August Events 28th Thu 29th Fri 30th Sat 31st Sun 1st Mon 2nd Tue 3rd Wed 4th Thu 5th Fri 6th Sat 7th Sun 8th Mon Ceremonies OC CC N/A Aquatics Diving 2 3 3 2 2 12 Swimming 7 10 8 8 10 9 52 Athletics 4 6 8 6 5 14 15 58 Badminton ● ● ● ● 1 ● ● ● ● ● 5 6 3x3 basketball ● ● ● ● 4 4 Beach volleyball ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● 2 2 Boxing ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● 16 16 Cricket ● ● ● ● ● ● ● 1 1 Cycling Mountain biking 2 26 Road cycling 2 2 Track cycling 6 4 6 4 Gymnastics Artistic 1 1 2 5 5 20 Rhythmic 1 1 4 Hockey ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● 1 1 2 Judo 5 4 5 14 Lawn bowls ● ● ● 2 3 1 ● 2 3 11 Netball ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● 1 1 Para powerlifting 4 4 Rugby sevens ● ● 2 2 Squash ● ● ● ● ● 2 ● ● ● 1 2 5 Table tennis ● ● ● 1 1 ● ● ● 3 4 2 11 Triathlon 2 3 5 Weightlifting 4 3 3 3 3 16 Wrestling 6 6 12 Daily medal events 16 23 24 28 37 30 15 17 33 45 12 280 Cumulative total 16 39 63 91 128 158 173 190 223 268 280 July/August 2022 28th Thu 29th Fri 30th Sat 31st Sun 1st Mon 2nd Tue 3rd Wed 4th Thu 5th Fri 6th Sat 7th Sun 8th Mon Total events July August Medal Table 2022 Commonwealth Games medal table Winning All Medals Sometimes, one country wins all three medals (gold, silver, and bronze) in a single event. This is called a "podium sweep." Here are the podium sweeps at the 2022 Commonwealth Games: Date Sport Event Team Gold Silver Bronze 29 July Swimming Women's 200 metre freestyle  Australia Ariarne Titmus Mollie O'Callaghan Madison Wilson Men's 400 metre freestyle Elijah Winnington Samuel Short Mack Horton 31 July Women's 50 metre freestyle Emma McKeon Meg Harris Shayna Jack 2 August Women's 100 metre freestyle Mollie O'Callaghan Shayna Jack Emma McKeon Women's 800 metre freestyle Ariarne Titmus Kiah Melverton Lani Pallister Athletics Women's 100 metres (T34)  England Hannah Cockroft Kare Adenegan Fabienne André 6 August Diving Men's 3 metre springboard Daniel Goodfellow Jordan Houlden Jack Laugher Marketing and Fun Stuff The Emblem The official logo for the Games was revealed on July 27, 2019. It was designed by a local company called RBL. The logo is a jagged, triangular "B" shape with blue and yellow lines. These lines represent the main venues of the Games in the West Midlands. This emblem was also the first to use the new "Commonwealth Sport" branding for the CGF. People generally liked the emblem, and some compared it to the logos for the 2012 London Olympics. Sponsors The official partners who helped fund the 2022 Commonwealth Games were Longines, University of Birmingham, E.ON, Chase, Severn Trent, and Dettol. The Mascot Perry the Bull, and his creator Emma Lou. The official mascot for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games was Perry, a colorful bull. Perry was named after Perry Barr, an area in Birmingham where Perry Park and the main athletics stadium, the Alexander Stadium, are located. The bull has long been a symbol of Birmingham. Perry was designed by a ten-year-old girl named Emma Lou from Bolton. How to Watch the Games Many TV channels and media companies bought the rights to show the Games in different countries. Country Rights holder Ref Australia Seven Network Brunei RTB Canada CBC India Sony Pictures Sports Network Malaysia Astro, RTM New Zealand Sky NZ Pakistan PTV Sports, Ten Sports Singapore Mediacorp South Africa SuperSport United Kingdom BBC, S4C (Welsh Language) See also In Spanish: Juegos de la Mancomunidad de 2022 para niños Commonwealth Youth Games held in the United Kingdom 2000 Commonwealth Youth Games – Edinburgh (Scotland) Commonwealth Games held in the United Kingdom 1934 British Empire Games – London (England) 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games – Cardiff (Wales) 1970 British Commonwealth Games – Edinburgh (Scotland) 1986 Commonwealth Games – Edinburgh (Scotland) 2002 Commonwealth Games – Manchester (England) 2014 Commonwealth Games – Glasgow (Scotland)