Scottish performance directors of 15 sports on the Birmingham 2022 programme joined Commonwealth Games Scotland (CGS) staff and representatives of the sportscotland Institute of Sport on a visit to the host city to experience venues first-hand and engage in collaborative discussion with the Birmingham 2022 Organising Committee.

The group heard updates from B2022 Heads of Division responsible for areas including sport, venues, and the Athlete Village and were invited to feed back before heading off on a tour of sporting venues and the Village site. All were impressed by the investment being made into new and existing facilities and the information gathered will inform Team Scotland’s general and sport specific preparations in the lead up to the Games. Potential sites for a Scotland House, a regular feature of the Team Scotland Games support programme, were also investigated with support from CGS Board members.

The group also took the opportunity to visit potential training venues in the area to assess their suitability for assisting athlete preparation immediately before the Games. Discussion sessions were also held to look at the support services required by the sports as well as wider Team Scotland activities which take place around the Games.

“The welcome we received in Birmingham was absolutely fantastic,” said CGS Games Team Operations Manager, Elinor Middlemiss. “The work to upgrade sporting facilities for the Games and build the Athletes’ Village is now underway and the opportunity to hear updates and share information with the organising committee was very useful for everyone.

“The Team Scotland group were fantastic to work with. Having so many of the performance directors there gave valuable input as we start to shape our planning and we thank the sports’ governing bodies and sportscotland for their commitment to ensuring Team Scotland head into Birmingham 2022 with the best preparation possible.”

Chief Executive at CGS, Jon Doig said “For each Games we have raised the bar in terms of our preparations and have got the results with a record medal tally in Glasgow and best overseas Games in Gold Coast. The fact that Birmingham is so close to home gives real opportunities in assisting the Team’s preparation as well as engaging with what we expect will be a large group of travelling supporters. Working closely with the Birmingham 2022 Organising Committee and other partners in the city is a critical part of our planning as we enter 2020.”

Birmingham will host the 22nd Commonwealth Games from 27 July to 7 August 2022, the third time England has staged the Games after London 1934 and Manchester 2002.