The increase in the sport's popularity has driven the shift from Coventry to the NEC
Tuesday 3 September 2019 19:24, UK
Netball's increase in popularity has seen the organisers of the 2022 Commonwealth Games move its venue from Coventry to the NEC.
On September 3, the change in location was announced by Birmingham 2022 after they made a routine review of venues almost two years on from their bid.
The continued upswing in netball's profile was the driving force behind the shift. The way in which the Netball World Cup was received at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool will have further highlighted the sport's ability to draw fans in.
England will be taking to the court in 2022 as the defending champions after their triumph on the Gold Coast last year and back on home soil, expectations for success will be high.
"We are delighted by Birmingham 2022's decision to relocate netball for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and fully support this decision," said Liz Nicholl CBE, president of the International Netball Federation.
"While the Coventry Arena is an excellent venue, this move to the NEC will increase the capacity significantly,"
"This [increased capacity] will be welcomed by the netball family and the significant fan base that our sport now attracts, as seen at the recent Netball World Cup in July 2019 when over 110,000 tickets were sold."
The Commonwealth Games will be held at venues across Birmingham and the West Midlands from July 27 until August 2, 2022.
Netball is back on your screens in October with the Fast5 All Stars Championship. We will cover all the twists and turns of the off-season as the Vitality Netball Superleague teams shape their squads for the 2020 season, which you can follow on Sky Sports.
