Katie Sadleir: Birmingham has been like Disneyland on steroids
The chief executive of the Commonwealth Games Federation said this year’s event has exceeded all expectations.
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Your support makes all the difference.Birmingham’s hosting of the Commonwealth Games has “gone beyond expectations”, according to the chief executive of the Games’ federation.
The event drew to a close on Monday and has been a riot of colour and excitement throughout.
As well as some stellar performances from the athletes, the warm welcome of volunteers and local residents will live long in the memory of those who covered the Games.
The event’s mascot, Perry the Bull, has been a huge hit with younger spectators and the opening ceremony’s Raging Bull has been surrounded by people taking photos after it was moved to Centenary Square in the centre of Birmingham.
Organisers did encounter difficulties in the run-up to the Games, such as the decision to abandon plans for a single athletes’ village at Perry Barr, but out of that the multi-village model has been proven to work successfully.
Commonwealth Games Federation chief executive Katie Sadleir told the PA news agency: “I think the Birmingham Games have been spectacular. Overall it has been an outstanding success.
“If you think about some of the challenges that were in front of it from a Covid perspective, from a Brexit perspective, from a strikes perspective, it has absolutely gone beyond expectations in terms of delivery.
“When I’ve walked down the streets in Birmingham, it’s been like Disneyland on steroids.”
While the city centre streets have been buzzing, the venues have also been packed for many sessions, even in some sports where that might not have been expected at the outset, as people moved late in some cases to buy tickets and be part of the experience.
Birmingham 2022 chief executive Ian Reid and his team were delighted by ticket sales, which by the penultimate day were well over 1.4million, helping Birmingham set a record for attendance for a Games held in the UK, despite the backdrop of the cost-of-living crisis.
Reid told PA: “I think it just shows people genuinely really love these multi-sport events in the UK.
“I always knew the city would embrace it. One of the visions for these Games, as you know, was to use it as a catalyst to really put the city and the region on the world map.
“Speaking to the local authorities on Saturday night, this has surpassed their expectations.
“Every day during the Games I took half an hour to walk around the city, and people have been thanking me for the work of the team in bringing the city alive.
“It’s pleasing that so many Brummies are proud, saying ‘wow, look at what we have delivered’.”