BIRMINGHAM: Mythical Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne introduced the curtain down at the Commonwealth Video games in impressive taste on Monday as dominant Australia celebrated completing best of the medals desk all over again. Athletes swarmed Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium for a ultimate birthday celebration that still featured UB40, Dexys and a tribute to Peaky Blinders, the worldwide hit TV display in regards to the town’s maximum infamous gang.
Birmingham-born Osbourne, referred to as the “Prince of Darkness”, introduced the rite to a climax after rising because the wonder act. The display, celebrating Birmingham’s upward push from the wreckage of International Conflict II and its emergence as a various and colourful fashionable town, introduced 11 days of wearing motion to an in depth.
Previous, six-time protecting champions Australia wrapped up their marketing campaign in taste, hammering India 7-0 within the males’s hockey ultimate to finally end up with 67 golds general. Hosts England resulted in 2d position with 57 golds, forward of Canada on 26 and India on 22, with para sports activities integrated within the medal tally.
Carrying powerhouse Australia have crowned the desk at each Video games since 1990 apart from in 2014, when England completed in first position in Glasgow. Australia hockey captain Aran Zalewski stated successful the Commonwealth Video games identify is “tougher than you suppose”.
“We’ve received seven, but it surely’s now not so simple as popping out right here and successful,” he stated. “There are such a large amount of demanding situations that cross into successful a event of hockey. “To complete off with a unique efficiency like that, actually scientific, was once really nice.” In other places on Monday, Scotland’s James Heatly and Grace Reid received the blended synchronized 3m springboard ultimate, with England pair Noah Williams and Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix taking gold within the 10m match. India celebrated a golden double in badminton.
International quantity seven PV Sindhu received the ladies’s singles, overcoming Canada’s Michelle Li, whilst Lakshya Sen beat Malaysia’s Ng Tze Yong to win the boys’s gold. India’s Sharath Kamal Achanta beat England’s Liam Pitchford 4-1 within the males’s singles desk tennis gold-medal fit. “The most efficient two weeks of my 40 years of existence,” stated the winner, who received 3 golds and a silver in Birmingham. “It will possibly’t recover.”
Birmingham at the map
Birmingham 2022 CEO Ian Reid informed a briefing previous that the Video games have been an enormous spice up for town and the encircling space. He stated greater than 1.5 million tickets have been offered, with maximum venues above 90 % capability. “One of the crucial objectives on the outset was once to place town at the global map and instill that vast delight throughout everybody that lives within the area and I believe we’ve completed that,” he stated. “I believe that may end up in a lot larger and bigger issues.”
Commonwealth Video games Federation CEO Katie Sadleir stated there have been “large engagement” with the Video games globally. She added a variety of international locations had expressed an passion in staging long run Commonwealth Video games, together with African countries.
She stated Birmingham, which already had many amenities in position, is usually a blueprint for the longer term. “It’s indubitably now not one thing we would like folks to spend large quantities of cash and capital funding if it isn’t wanted and desired by means of the long-term plans for the rustic,” she stated.
The Birmingham Video games made historical past in being the primary to award extra medals to ladies than males. Australian swimming nice Emma McKeon changed into essentially the most adorned athlete in Commonwealth Video games historical past, with 20 medals — together with six golds in Birmingham.
And the tiny island of Niue received its first ever Commonwealth Video games medal, a boxing bronze for Duken Tutakitoa-Williams. Commonwealth Video games Federation president Louise Martin passed the flag to Linda Dessau, the governor of the Australian state of Victoria, which is able to host the 2026 Video games. Martin stated Birmingham had placed on an match “in contrast to any we’ve observed prior to”.
“We’re rising from probably the most difficult sessions in fashionable historical past, the place the COVID-19 pandemic has stored us aside,” she stated. “Birmingham 2022 proved to be a unique second once we reunited, when the facility of game to attach us got here into sharp focal point.” – AFP