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Your guide to the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games

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When are the games on?

The 2022 Commonwealth Games are kicking off from July 29 to August 8.

Where are the events taking place?

The 2022 Commonwealth Games will be contested across 15 venues in the West Midlands regions of England.

Seven of those venues are located in the city of Birmingham, the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.15 million.

Birmingham will be the third English city to host the Commonwealth Games following London in 1934 and Manchester in 2002.

Top venue: Alexander Stadium will stage the 2022 Commonwealth Games opening and closing ceremonies and track and field competition.

What sports are included?

Aquatics (diving, swimming), athletics, badminton, 3x3 basketball, beach volleyball, boxing, cricket, cycling (mountain biking, road, track), gymnastics (artistic, rhythmic), field hockey, judo, lawn bowls, netball, powerlifting, rugby sevens, squash, table tennis, triathlon, weightlifting and wrestling.

In total 72 teams will take part including 54 countries and 18 territories.

What’s new?

Four new sports will make their debuts at Birmingham 2022.

Women’s T20 cricket will be held for the first time at a Commonwealth Games, to be hosted at Edgbaston Cricket Ground in Birmingham.

Both 3x3 basketball and 3x3 wheelchair basketball will also be making their debuts, highlighting the rise of the fast-paced and thrilling format around the world.

A total of eight Commonwealth nations will take place in 3x3 basketball, while six teams will take part in 3x3 wheelchair basketball.

Para table tennis will also take place at a Commonwealth Games for the first time.

Australia’s Commonwealth Games Team

Success: The Australian Dolphins Swim Team claimed 28 of the 50 Commonwealth Games gold medals on offer four years ago and are again hoping for a swag of gold in Birmingham.

Australia is one of only six countries (including Canada, England, New Zealand, Scotland and Wales) to have sent athletes to every edition of the Commonwealth Games since the inaugural tournament in 1930.

Australia is sending 435 athletes: 351 able-bodied athletes and 76 para-athletes and eight guides, making it the second largest contingent in history behind Gold Coast 2018.

They will be led by chef de mission Petria Thomas.

More than half the team will be making their Commonwealth Games debut.

Where to watch?

Presenters: Seven’s broadcast hosting team will be led by Hamish McLachlan and Abbey Gelmi

The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games are live and free exclusively on Seven and 7plus, in what will be the country’s second-biggest broadcast and digital event after the Olympic Games of Tokyo 2020.

There will be up to 30 dedicated exclusive and free, live and replay Commonwealth Games channels across Seven and 7plus.

Daily coverage on Seven’s primary linear channel will begin from the 7pm AEST until 5.30am AEST when Sunrise takes the lead for all the early morning action.

Across the 11 days of competition, many of Australia’s most-loved medal events will feature in prime-time, including swimming and para-swimming, athletics and para-athletics, netball, T20 cricket, women’s and men’s hockey, and many more.

The 7plus app is the only place to watch up to 30 live and replay channels of sport, see what’s on when, keep up-to-date with the medal tally, create a watchlist to follow your favourite events and catch up on highlights.

Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games are just a click away on your smart TV, mobile, tablet or computer.