The first Commonwealth Games were held in 1930 in Hamilton in Canada.
There were just 400 athletes from 11 nations taking part in that Games, a car cry from the 4,500 from 72 nations who will compete in Birmingham.
It is due to be the best-attended Games in history with 1.2m tickets already sold across the 15 venues, all but one of which are in and around Birmingham. The velodrome is in London.
There have been plenty of incredible moments over the course of the Games’ history, but this Games feels like something of a turning point.
Back in 1930, those Games were called the British Empire Games with almost all of the countries taking part in this year’s Games having once been part of the British Empire (Rwanda and Mozambique are those that were not).
Recent events around the BLM movement have shone a spotlight on Britain’s colonial history like never before, with uncomfortable questions being asked, leading to some uncomfortable but vital conversations.
The Commonwealth Games – for so long a beacon of inclusivity -should serve as another vehicle to drive forward the conversation further.
And there’s no better place to do it. Birmingham is Europe’s youngest city with nearly 40 per cent of its population aged 25 or under and has a thriving multicultural society.
Let’s see what Birmingham 2022 has to offer us.
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