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| Hosts: Birmingham Dates: 28 July to eight August |
| Protection: Watch stay on BBC TV with additional streams on BBC iPlayer, Purple Button, BBC Sport web site and BBC Sport cell app; Pay attention on BBC Radio 5 Dwell and Sports activities Additional; stay textual content and clips on-line |
Work began on Alexander Stadium’s redevelopment in February 2020 – the UK’s wettest February on file.
The ending touches to the Commonwealth Video games’ centrepiece have been made in July 2022, simply as temperature data have been damaged round a scorched UK.
Local weather change is right here. However it is usually in every single place else.
And a number of the nations competing in Birmingham have felt the results most keenly.
Three Commonwealth athletes inform BBC Sport their fears and hopes for the way forward for sport, humanity and the planet.
Eliud Kipchoge (Kenya, athletics)
Kipchoge famously grew to become the primary man to finish the marathon distance in lower than two hours at a high-tech occasion in Vienna in 2019. He solely switched to the highway after a profitable monitor profession that included 5,000m silver at Delhi 2010. He launched the Eliud Kipchoge Basis, which focuses on atmosphere and training to enhance lives around the globe.
“The place I stay and prepare, excessive within the Kenyan countryside, practically 80% of the inhabitants are farmers.
“Individuals know that the rains are not the identical as 5 years in the past and that local weather change is actual
“It has an impact on athletes too. Local weather change is pushing arduous in some nations and it isn’t doable to run for 2, three hours.
“It’s actually unhappy as a marathon runner.
“Operating in hotter environments is so arduous. It’s scary how, on the finish of a session or race, you are feeling all of your vitality has gone.
“We noticed how the marathon on the World Championships in Doha in 2019 needed to begin at midnight as a result of in any other case it could be too sizzling.
“If you wish to carry out, if you wish to actually get pleasure from working, it’s essential to have a clear atmosphere with clear oxygen.
“So, it’s actually essential for me to face up and speak loud for the atmosphere.
“Social media channels can present folks the results extra simply than earlier than. You’ll be able to inform a buddy to inform a buddy that that is our nation, our continent, our habitat, our residence. We’ve no different.”
Eroni Sau (Fiji, rugby sevens)
Sau was a part of the Fiji rugby sevens workforce that gained silver at Gold Coast 2018. He additionally performed two seasons with Edinburgh earlier than switching to present membership Provence within the south of France.
“There’s a huge drawback, particularly the place I grew up on the islands. There particularly you may see the adjustments brought on by local weather change every single day. It’s occurring proper earlier than our eyes.
“In my mom’s village, there was a constructing that was a kitchen and loo block. Once I was a child it was 10 metres away from the seaside. But it surely is not there any extra.
“All you may see of it are the foundations below the ocean.
“I went again residence just lately after 4 years away. There’s a graveyard the place we buried our grandparents and ancestors, however now individuals are speaking about transferring the our bodies additional inland or close to the mountains due to the rising sea degree.
“It’s actually affecting our lives, even the game.
“As children we’d love taking part in rugby on the seaside. We’d at all times play on a strip of sand on the high of the seaside, the ocean on one aspect and the coconut timber on the opposite.
“Now although that strip of sand does not exist at excessive tide, the water comes up previous the coconut timber. There isn’t a seaside, no place for us to play.
“It’s actually affecting the entire world although. In France, the place I’m taking part in rugby now, it feels hotter than residence. I obtained off the airplane in Marseille and I felt dizzy as a result of it felt a lot hotter. I actually discover it arduous within the south of France in the summertime.”
Mubal Azzam (Maldives, swimmer)
Azzam was one in every of Maldives’ flagbearers ultimately summer season’s Olympics in Tokyo. The 21-year-old competed in three particular person occasions and two relays for his nation at Birmingham 2022.
“On numerous islands within the Maldives, homes have been flooded and there are points with erosion.
“Within the capital Male, the place I’ve lived for many of my life, we now have synthetic seashores that the general public can use, however there was a really enormous change within the disposition of sands, with loads of erosion in a single space. The entire topography has actually modified.
“I see a rising environmental consciousness in sportspeople in our technology. We’ve seen the impacts first hand.
“I used to coach within the ocean with my workforce and there have been loads of occasions the place it was arduous to take action as a result of the water was so polluted.
“We knew we needed to get used to it as a result of we could not change it on the time. But it surely made me contemplate the right way to assist our nation and people change into extra sustainable on the planet.
“I feel the sporting neighborhood can have loads of energy to vary views as a result of it brings folks collectively.
“I’ve met numerous people who find themselves like-minded. I really feel sport is impactful, it may be a giant affect on this planet.”
