Leamington Spa bowled over to be part of Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Bid

The royal titled town’s international standard greens are the annual home of the National Bowls Championships and have hosted two women’s World Bowls Championships, in 1996 and 2004.

Five existing world-class greens will be used across the Lawn Bowls and Para Lawn Bowls competitions, including a showcase finals green. The competition venue will have capacity for 3,300 spectators.

Less than 30 minutes by train from central Birmingham, Royal Leamington Spa’s picturesque pavilions and beautiful parks will provide a stunning, quintessentially English, backdrop for the Lawn Bowls competitions. The Warwickshire town, alongside previously announced Sandwell and Coventry, will directly benefit from a Birmingham 2022 Games that has the support of the wider Midlands region, including the Coventry and Warwickshire LEP.

Today’s announcement at Victoria Park coincides with both the ongoing English National Bowls Championships (taking place until Sunday 03 September), and a visit from the Queens Baton Relay, which is currently touring the UK ahead of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games. The Baton will be in England for just five days, including Birmingham on 20 August, reinforcing the importance of the sport and venue to the Commonwealth Games family.

Tony Allcock MBE, Chief Executive, Bowls England, said:

“Hosting the Commonwealth Games Bowls fixtures at the home of Lawn Bowls in England would be an incredible experience. We have worked hard to create a world-class venue that has delivered the women’s World Championships twice as well as annually hosting the National Championships.

“Having competed in, coached for and managed Commonwealth Games Lawn Bowls I know what it takes to deliver a great championship and I have every confidence that Birmingham 2022 would deliver a fantastic Commonwealth Games.”

Cllr Michael Coker, Warwick District Council, said:

“We are thrilled that the Birmingham 2022 Bid team has recognised the world-class greens at Victoria Park and chosen Royal Leamington Spa to host its Lawn Bowls and Para Lawn Bowls competition.

“With its picturesque pavilion and beautiful parks and gardens, Leamington Spa will provide a stunning backdrop to this quintessentially English sport, which we know will appeal to fans, tourists and media alike.

“Birmingham’s bid will bring benefits to the whole region so we encourage everyone to get behind it and help us bring the Games to our own doorsteps.”

Ian Ward, Chair of the Commonwealth Games Bid Company, said:

“We are incredibly privileged to have so many existing international standard sports venues within the region, including this former Lawn Bowls World Championships host venue at Victoria Park. It will provide a spectacular home to our Lawn Bowls and Para Lawn Bowls competition.

“We are proud to partner with Warwick District Council and Bowls England to include Victoria Park as part of our bid and are delighted that the benefits of a Birmingham 2022 Games will reach far and wide across the region.”

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ENDS

About the Birmingham 2022 Bid

Sitting at the heart of the UK, and standing for the diversity of the Commonwealth, Birmingham is well positioned to attract people to the Games and to ensure that the benefits of hosting extend from the city and the region, to the UK, to the Commonwealth. The advancement of the UK’s global role and the Commonwealth movement is integral to our vision of Birmingham: heart of the UK, soul of the Commonwealth.

Birmingham 2022 will comprise 20 sports taking place across 19 venues. These sports and venues were selected following careful assessment of Commonwealth Games Federation guidelines regarding athletes’ needs, the technical specifications, seating capacity and Games-time logistics.

As part of the selection process, the bid committee looked closely at how to utilise Birmingham’s wealth of existing sports venues and facilities, ensuring connectivity and accessibility and maximising spectator numbers.

Birmingham’s bid has the full support of the wider Midlands region, including: Birmingham City Council; three regional local enterprise partnerships: Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP; Black Country LEP; Coventry and Warwickshire LEP; the West Midlands Combined Authority and the newly elected Mayor of West Midlands, Andy Street; the West Midlands Growth Company; and the Midlands Engine. In addition, Birmingham’s bid is supported by The Birmingham Commonwealth Association.