Birmingham 2022 has announced a change in venue for netball, following the recent growth in popularity of the sport.

After a massive increase in its profile since Team England’s gold medal winning heroics on the Gold Coast in 2018 and England’s hosting of the Netball World Cup in July, the sport moves from the Coventry Indoor Arena to the NEC, increasing capacity and allowing more netball fans the opportunity to enjoy the sport in the summer of 2022.

This news comes after a routine review of venues, nearly two years on from Birmingham’s bid, which will also see rugby sevens relocating to the Coventry Stadium, the home of Wasps and the emerging home of Midlands elite rugby. Judo and wrestling will now be held on the same site in Coventry.

The changes mean that Villa Park no longer features as a host venue at the Games. Due to the anticipated early start of the football season in 2022, with the FIFA World Cup kicking off in November that year, Aston Villa has unfortunately been unable to commit to the dates required for the Commonwealth Games in July and August 2022. Detailed assessments of venues included in the bid also revealed a number of challenges in operating Villa Park at Games time.

The venue refresh follows on from the recent announcement that Birmingham’s iconic Edgbaston Stadium is now an official venue for Birmingham 2022, after women’s cricket was added to the sports programme. With beach volleyball added too, there are now even more sports taking place in and around the city.

Liz Nicholl CBE, President of the International Netball Federation welcomed news of the venue change for netball: “We are delighted by Birmingham 2022’s decision to relocate netball for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and fully support this decision. While the Coventry Arena is an excellent venue, this move to the NEC will increase the capacity significantly. This 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.”

Birmingham 2022 Chief Executive Officer, Ian Reid, explained the announcement of the venue changes: “As is common practice for all major multi-sport events, we have been considering how best to optimise the mix of venues available to us, making sure we’re being as efficient as possible in terms of usage and cost, and ensuring that we are developing a fantastic experience and showcase for the sport, the athletes, the spectators and the host city and region.

“We are delighted to be able to relocate netball into a larger venue as this sport’s profile has massively increased since the 2017 bid. We’re disappointed that Villa Park will unfortunately no longer be part of our venue portfolio, however we hope to continue working closely with Aston Villa in the run up to the Games.”

Nicola Ibbetson, Chief Commercial Officer of Aston Villa said: “Although Villa Park will unfortunately no longer be a Games venue, we are continuing to discuss ways Aston Villa can help support Birmingham 2022 in hosting this prestigious event.”

Chief Executive (Venue) at Wasps, Stuart Cain, said: “We’ve built a great reputation for staging top-level rugby union at the Coventry Stadium having hosted Six Nations games, European semi-final matches, as well as obviously all Wasps home games. This is a great extension and gives us the chance to work with the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games to deliver another successful rugby tournament in the region. We’re also excited to host the wrestling and judo within the Coventry Indoor Arena, adding to the diversity of sports we’ve already accommodated at the stadium.”

The latest venue update has now been approved by the Commonwealth Games Federation’s Executive Board, ahead of its General Assembly in Rwanda, which will see a team from Birmingham 2022 presenting an update on preparations for the event to representatives from the 71 Commonwealth nations and territories from across the globe.

The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will be held in venues across Birmingham and the West Midlands from 27 July until 7 August 2022 and will be a once in a lifetime opportunity to put the city on the map and to showcase the fantastic venues and facilities available in the region.

The 45th WorldSkills Competition saw 1,354 young professionals from 63 countries and regions compete in 56 skills in the Russian city of Kazan, with India creating their own history by winning 4 medals there.

Demonstrating an exceptionally high level of vocational education and training, as well as teamwork abilities, a truly unforgettable event saw the young competitors challenging for Gold, Silver and Bronze medals as well as the Medallion of Excellence and the Albert Vidal Award.

With skills grouped into six sectors at the KAZAN EXPO International Exhibition Centre - including; Construction and Building Technology, Creative Arts & Fashion, Information and Communication Technology, Manufacturing and Engineering Technology, Social and Personal Services, plus Transportation and Logistics – competition remained high and exciting during the week-long fare.

Team UK won four medals - two of them gold (Rebecca West, from Sussex Downs College, in Beauty Therapy and Nottingham University’s Haydn Jakes of, in Aircraft Maintenance), with Connor McKevitt, trained by Riverpark Training and employed by Wrights Accident Repair Centre, claiming a Silver in Car Painting, while Phoebe McLavy from Coleg Sir Gar, employed by Morgan Edward Salon, winning Bronze in Hairdressing.

The team were also awarded 15 medallions of excellence – which are given to competitors who have achieved the international standard in their skill.

Neil Bentley-Gockmann, chief executive of WorldSkills UK, said: "The members of Team UK, all under-25 years, championed the UK focus on skills development in front of a global audience, sending a strong message that the UK is a world-class place to invest, do business and create jobs.

"Governments, education and industry need to continue to work with us to make sure the UK stays at the cutting edge of global best practice in skills development."

Also speaking after the event, India’s Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Minister Mahendra Nath Pandey said: "This time we expect India to occupy a slot between one and 10 among 63 participating countries here...We are trying to bring forward the talents of the Indian youth".

One of the legacies of WorldSkills Competitions is the increased visibility of skilled professional education, as one of the tools of social and economic transformation.

The competition also provides leaders in industry, government, and education with the opportunity to exchange information and best practices regarding industry and professional education.

Some 40-plus specially invited guests we amongst a large, exciting yet tearfully emotional, crowd as the ‘Pre Knockdown Game’ saw some of footballs former star names turn out to say their final ‘Good Bye’ as the bulldozers laid in wait to begin redeveloping the aging athletics venue in time for the Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022.

The Birmingham Commonwealth Association (BCA), partnered by United Community Activity Network and supported by Birmingham City Council, held the Commonwealth event prior to its partial demolition and redevelopment with footballing hierarchy including; David Barnett, Tony Daley, Paul Devlin, Darren Byfield, Dennis Bailey, Darren Carter and Deon Burton just some of the star names who turned out for this absolutely ‘final’ sporting event before the diggers roll in.

With a barnstorming parade, by the Warwickshire and West Midlands Army Cadets to excite and make proud a large turn-out, the ‘kick about’ hosted by the legendary ‘Voice of Midlands Football’, Tom Ross, ‘kind of’ assisted by Ethics Committee Member at Office of the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, Rebecca Hemmings and bespoke poet Dave Wilks, all was set fair for a day of fun and frivolities at this, the very last ‘hurrah’ at the home of British Athletics.

Keith Stokes-Smith, chair of the Birmingham Commonwealth Association, said: “This free multi sports day was an opportunity for everyone to say their last ‘good-bye’ before the big redevelopment.

The event, with a commonwealth twist, was an ideal way for all to say their last ‘good-by’ and ‘hello’ to a new dawning for the Alexander Stadium as we move ever closer to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games”.

The Games are expected to take place between July, 27and August 7.

With developments officially now underway, the last hurrah for the Alexander Stadium – as we know it now – saw a host of record-breaking stars out to book their flight tickets for Doha and the 2019 edition of the IAAF World Athletics Championships at the Müller British Athletics Championships.

Record-holder Dina Asher-Smith, European champion Matt Hudson-Smith, Eilish McColgan and, somewhat surprisingly, Ojie Edoburun, guaranteed their respective Team GB vests with Championship, Season and Personal Bests a-plenty at the Trials.

Triple European champion, Asher-Smith, who broke her own British Championship record and is planning to compete at 100m and 200m, said: "I'm just happy I've booked my seat for at least one of the events." On the possibility of doubling-up, she added: "It's all about the progression to the World Championships."

A hugely delighted Edoburun, 23, said he was "very, very happy" after claiming victory by one thousandth of a second.

"I'm not going to cry on TV. It's taken me so long to figure out what works for me, while seeing my peers excel," he said. "I was so scared, having flashbacks of all the bad trials I've had over the years."

On a day where many other stars such as Morgan Lake, Tim Duckworth, Harry Hughes, Rosie Clarke and Jodie Williams confirmed their places in the squad for Doha, it was a particularly fitting way to give the Alexander Stadium its big send-off before it undergoes major redevelopments in preparation for the Commonwealth Games in 2022, with Councillor Ian Ward, leader of Birmingham City Council, saying: “We’re now in an exciting phase of the design process where we would like to share our plans for the future with the community and hear their thoughts.

“The team has designed a redeveloped stadium which will meet the needs and aspirations of the community for generations to come. This is about creating a destination venue, shaping a legacy beyond the Commonwealth Games.”

The changes to the 40-year-old stadium will include an increase in permanent seating capacity from 12,700 to 18,000, allowing up to 40,000 during the Games through additional temporary seating.

The Perry Barr venue, which is the home of UK Athletics, will host the athletics plus the opening and closing ceremonies at the Games, set to take place from July 27 to August 7, 2022.

Immortalised at the club where he made his name, now former Wolverhampton Wanders and England footballing legend, Sir Billy Wright, has been further immortalised with blue plaque which was unveiled at his childhood home.

Wright, the first England player to notch up more than 100 caps, captaining them 90 times, has a statute outside Wolves' Molineux ground – in front of the main stand which bears his name - grew up on New Road in Ironbridge, in Shropshire, where the plaque was revealed.

At the unveiling, his daughters said it was "so exciting" to see their dad honoured. Vicky Wright was joined by sister Babette at the unveiling and both were set to stay overnight at the house for the first time afterwards.

She said: "My sister and I are honoured to be to be in the position where we can honour his memory. "The people of Ironbridge and Wolverhampton just adore him.

"My sister and I are really, really close, and we just adored him, he was the most incredible dad." Sir Billy spent his entire playing career at Wolves, making 490 appearances before retiring in 1959.

After hanging up his boots, Wright managed Arsenal and was married to Joy Beverley, of the 1950s pop group The Beverley Sisters – they were the original ‘Posh & Becks’.

The New Road house now home to Viv and Tony Moore; they said they were "thrilled" to be linked with its legacy.

The brainchild of the late Sted Wallen, this Sunday (August 25) marks the 21^st anniversary of the Birmingham Sports & Culture Day – the family-friendly fun day providing top-class international cricket, live music, children’s entertainment and an abundance of fantastic food and drink to wile the day away.

It will be two years – almost to the day – since one of the city’s greatest modern-day mandarins so suddenly parted, but his presence will be very much felt by the thousands who are expected to attend the mass day of celebration – and reminiscence – for one of Jamaica and the entire Caribbean’s, multicultural Birmingham’s, cricket’s and, in fact, life’s own greatest ‘son’.

Playing for the ‘Sted Wallen Memorial Cup’, stars of local national and first class international cricket will be at Handsworth Cricket Club, in Handsworth Park, Birmingham, this Bank Holiday where all of ‘his community’; that is everybody – man, women and children of all nations – get together to celebrate the true winner; Sted’s memory.

Start Time - 12:00.