Search begins for Commonwealth Games 2022 training venues

Birmingham 2022, the organiser of the 2022 Commonwealth Games, said it is inviting sports facilities in the West Midlands to apply to become official training venues for the event.

The search is on for venues for 10 of the 19 sports on the Birmingham 2022 programme, in order to provide facilities for thousands of athletes leading up to and during the Games. 

The sports requiring training venues are: athletics, boxing, women’s cricket T20, hockey, netball, artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, rugby sevens, swimming and triathlon.

Athletes competing in the remaining nine sports will train either at their competition venues, or at one of the three Campus Villages where athletes will stay during the Games. 

Each sport has specific criteria which locations must meet to be eligible as a training venue. Venues can apply to host one or several sports depending on the facilities they have available.  

Training venues must be located within a 30-minute drive time of one of the three Campus Villages where athletes will be staying during the Games: University of Birmingham, University of Warwick and the NEC. Venues will be required for at least three weeks, from 18 July until 10 August 2022. 

Ian Reid, CEO of Birmingham 2022, said: “The West Midlands is home to many excellent sporting facilities, from major competition venues to state-of-the-art training centres. 

“This gives us another opportunity to showcase even more of the region’s assets to the world in 2022, as well as inspire, engage and connect communities all over the West Midlands to feel part of the Games”. 

Sports facilities can find out more about the criteria required to become a training venue here. The deadline for applications is 30 September 2020.

Facilities that aren’t eligible to become Games Time Training Venues could be considered as a venue for a pre-games camp, which will see some teams arriving in England early to acclimatise and finalise their preparations before the Games begin.

The Commonwealth Games will be taking place from 18 July to 10 August 2022.