Games-Canada's Hamilton prepared to throw Commonwealth 100th anniversary party

BIRMINGHAM, England : The Commonwealth Games are ready to return in 2030 to Hamilton, the Canadian city that launched the multi-sport event 100 years ago, with Niagara Falls providing the backdrop for beach volleyball and a push to add men's cricket to the programme.

With the federal and provincial governments expressing support and no other cities having formally thrown their hats in the ring, Hamilton bid leader Louis Frapporti told Reuters the 'Steel City' is the favourite when the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) makes a decision sometime next year.

"Without jinxing it we are clearly the punitive favourite if only because we have invested so much time and energy in actually creating a proposal," said Frapporti. "The only country we are hearing any rumblings about is New Zealand.

"What we understand is we are so far ahead of them in terms of preparation of a bid that they are more likely to be interested in 2034 than 2030."

If chosen it would mark the fifth time Canada has hosted the quadrennial event but the first since 1994 when they were held in Victoria, British Colombia.

Hamilton staged the first competition in 1930 when it was known as the British Empire Games and had just six sports; athletics, boxing, lawn bowls, rowing, swimming, and wrestling.

Women competed only in aquatic events.

At the Birmingham Games, which came to close on Monday, nearly 5,000 athletes from 72 nations and territories competed in 19 sports.

For the first time at a major multi-sport event there were more medal events for women (136) than men (134) and a record eight integrated para-sports with podium finishes counting in the overall medal standings.

While the 100th anniversary provides an obvious hook on which to hang a pitch, the