Hosting CWG has to be more affordable: Birmingham 2022 CEO

Commonwealth Games have been staged outside the UK or Australia and the CEO of the upcoming Birmingham edition, Ian Reid, feels the multi-sporting event needs to be 'more affordable' to be hosted across 56 member nations. Delhi 2010 was the last edition to be held outside Australia or the UK over the past two decades. Australia will be hosting the 2026 Games as well across four centres in the state of Victoria.

Durban was originally supposed to host the 2022 edition but backed out due to financial constraints, bringing Birmingham into the picture. The Birmingham Games' budget stands 778 million pounds, making it the most expensive sporting event in the UK since 2012 London Olympics, notwithstanding the challenges the organisers have had to endure due to Covid-19. The Victorian government has pledged 2.6 billion Australian dollars for the 2026 edition.

Speaking to PTI ahead of the Games beginning July 28, Reid spoke on the need to bring the budgets down to make it more viable for all Commonwealth nations, the relevance of the event formerly called the British Empire Games, India's role in the CWG movement and the challenges of hosting the upcoming edition in Covid times with a 45,000 workforce. Excerpts:Q. The Games are back in the UK again, for the third time in the last 20 years.

Australia hosted the previous edition and it will be hosting the 2026 as well. How concerning is that trend?A. I am a huge advocate for trying to get these Games across the Commonwealth nations and not just staying in a few countries.

Part of the issue is affordability and making sure the Games are affordable for all countries (to host). The CGF (world body) is taking some action in relation to that. They have changed programs for future events