Birmingham lined up for 2022 Commonwealth Games bid

Birmingham has been chosen to lead a bid to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games, beating off competition from Liverpool to be England’s host city.

The South African city of Durban had been chosen to host the major sporting event, but the Commonwealth Games Federation decided in March that it did not fulfil the criteria and began the search for a new host.

The Midlands city will now prepare a formal bid to be the lead city for the Games, facing competition from the likes of Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.

The Games bring together athletes from over 50 countries, the majority of those former British colonial territories.

The decision arrived after an independent assessment from the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with a final decision coming from government ministers.

"We need to be completely satisfied that the bid offers overall value for money from hosting the Games and that a strong economic and sporting legacy can be delivered from it," said sports minister Tracey Crouch.

"The UK has fantastic expertise in hosting the biggest events in sport, as recently showcased at the London 2017 World Para Athletics and IAAF World Championships, and if we are to bid and are selected to host the Commonwealth Games in 2022 I have no doubt that Birmingham would host an excellent sporting spectacle," the minister added.