Birmingham joins 2026 Commonwealth Games bidding

Birmingham is joining the bidding to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

City council leader John Clancy said Birmingham was a "fantastic sporting city", hosting major events including The Ashes and the Rugby World Cup.

The council has launched a feasibility study and claimed the event could generate more than £390m for the region. The mayor of Liverpool revealed in August that they are also planning a bid. Other places expected to be in the running include Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea and Edmonton in Canada. It is 31 years since the city's memorably unpersuasive attempt to host the Summer Olympics of 1992 failed to have the desired effect, but those behind the Commonwealth bid say the city is ready to play host this time. Mr Clancy said: "We have proven ourselves to be warm, welcoming and friendly hosts to a number of international events in recent years.

"In addition to the huge economic impact, these events showcase the very best of our city and wider region to the world." It's about time Birmingham and the West Midlands hosted a multi-sport event. We've been accused of dropping behind Sheffield and Manchester in terms of our sporting prowess - an accusation I would challenge because of the amount of international competitions we have.

- BBC