Boxing would be staged at the NEC if Birmingham are awarded the 2022 Commonwealth Games ©Birmingham 2022

Birmingham today revealed the first sports it would include on the programme if they are awarded the 2022 Commonwealth Games and where they would be held.

Central to the city's bid, they have announced, is the NEC situated on a site which also includes the Genting Arena with a combined total of 200,000 square metres.

Three of the NEC’s largest halls would host boxing, judo, table tennis and freestyle wrestling, while the Genting Arena would stage badminton.

Birmingham have also revealed that the Barclaycard Arena - formerly the National Indoor Arena - would be the venue for artistic and rhythmic gymnastics and have seating for 9,000 spectators. 

The Symphony Hall, meanwhile, would stage weightlifting and powerlifting. 

Birmingham had announced last Monday (June 19) when launching its logo that Alexander Stadium would be upgraded to a capacity of up to 50,000 to stage the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, as well as well as the athletics. 

To accompany the announcement, Birmingham 2022 have also released computer generated images of how the venues would like in Games mode.

Gymnastics would be staged at the Barclaycard Arena if Birmingham stages the 2022 Commonwealth Games ©Birmingham 2022
Gymnastics would be staged at the Barclaycard Arena if Birmingham stages the 2022 Commonwealth Games ©Birmingham 2022

"We have undertaken a rigorous process to identify the venues which meet the Games’ technical requirements and ensure we meet the athletes’ and spectators’ needs," ian Ward, the Deputy Leader of Birmingham City Council and head of the city's bid, said. 

"These world-class indoor arenas are central to our bid and contribute to the 95 per cent of Birmingham’s venues which are already available. 

"With a heritage of delivering world-class international events these four venues will provide over 50 days of competition for fans to enjoy during the Birmingham 2022 Games."

Unlike Liverpool, its rival for the English nomination to replace Durban as the host city for the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Birmingham has not announced its full sports programme.

It is expected to host the aquatics events at a proposed new Olympic-sized swimming pool in the West Midlands region, Twenty20 cricket at Edgbaston and squash at the University of Birmingham. 

The NEC, opened in 1976, is the largest exhibition centre in the UK.

It is located near junction 6 of the M42 motorway and adjacent to Birmingham Airport and Birmingham International railway station.

Hall 1 would host boxing with a capacity of 3,900.

Hall 4 would judo and wrestling with seats and Hall 5 wrestling, 

Each sport would have enough seating for 2,800 spectators.

The Genting Arena, previously The NEC Arena and LG Arena, would have capacity for 9,000 to watch badminton. 

The Symphony Hall in the centre of Birmingham would be home to weightlifting and powerlifting if the city wins its bid to host the Commonwealth Games ©Birmingham 2022
The Symphony Hall in the centre of Birmingham would be home to weightlifting and powerlifting if the city wins its bid to host the Commonwealth Games ©Birmingham 2022

"We saw at the London 2012 Olympics how a major indoor venue could successfully host multiple sports events and how the public and athletes thrived on the opportunity to experience so many sports in close proximity with a compact Games proposition," Phil Mead, managing director NEC Group Arenas and member of the Birmingham 2022 Steering Group, said.

"We can deliver this and more and believe Birmingham is the only city that can deliver this for 2022."

The Symphony Hall is normally the home of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra but during the Commonwealth Games would stage weightlifting and powerlifting with a capacity of 2,500. 

Both Symphony Hall and the Barclaycard Arena are located in the city centre in Birmingham. 

Besides Birmingham and Liverpool, Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur, host of the 1998 Commonwealth Games, is among the locations to have expressed firm interest in stepping in to replace Durban, stripped of the 2022 Games in March due to a lack of financial guarantees.

Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney in Australia have also revealed they may be interested, while Victoria in Canada announced earlier this month that it will bid.

The Commonwealth Games Federation are due to choose a host city in autumn.