Back-to-back ‘super Sundays’ planned at next year’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham – including a celebration of women’s sport

The medal matches for women’s hockey, 20-over cricket and netball will all take place as part of 11 medal sessions in one day, with little or no overlap between them.

A further nine events will culminate the Sunday before, July 31, with the schedule also designed to fit around the final of the women’s football European Championship which kicks off at 5pm that day.

In all, there will be 283 medal events across 11 days of competition.

Ama Agbeze, who captained England to their dramatic netball gold medal success at the 2018 Games on Australia’s Gold Coast, said: ‘It’s a great boost for female sport. Obviously with Covid there has been a lack of sport generally, but a significant impact on female sport in particular.’

Agbeze, who joined the Games board earlier this month, added: ‘It’s highlighting women and it’s basically a whole day to celebrate women’s sport. It’s great that the schedule has been accommodating and to get it sorted this way.’

The chief executive of Birmingham 2022, Ian Reid, is confident the Games will be able to go ahead with full capacity venues as the country begins to map out the easing of lockdown restrictions amid the coronavirus pandemic.

He said: ‘The general environment looks a lot more positive with the publication of the (Government) road map.

‘Of course it would be remiss of us if we weren’t also looking at various scenarios and all the appropriate plans in place to make sure this is a safe environment.

‘But we’re really confident that we’ll get back, that we’ll have full stadiums. We’ll start selling tickets later in the summer and we’ll feel positive if at that point stadiums are starting to fill up in other events.

‘We need that thing to look forward to, and next year’s summer of sport looks incredible.’

The rescheduling of the World Athletics Championships to 2022 appeared to put in doubt the possibility of a strong track and field line-up in Birmingham, but Games organisers say there has been close collaboration with World Athletics to ensure ample recovery time.

Birmingham 2022 director of sport Matt Kidson said: ‘We’ve spoken to athletes and coaches around the world to find out the ideal rest period, and we’re looking at a minimum nine or 10 day rest period.

‘Each athlete will be able to get to Birmingham, rest, recover, train and hopefully get up to speed in time for our Games.’

The Birmingham Games will be only the second time the event has been held in England since 1934 - Manchester hosted the sporting spectacular in 2002.

THE SUPER SUNDAYS

Sunday, July 31

Medal sessions: Nine

Medals will be up for grabs from 9am in artistic gymnastics, which has two separate medal sessions in the same day.

Triathlon, para triathlon and weightlifting medals will also be contested in the morning, afternoon and evening, along with track and para track cycling.

A window has been built into the schedule for the women’s European Championship football final at Wembley which kicks off at 5pm, with the rugby sevens medals to be decided between 6.30pm and 10pm in the evening.

Sunday, August 7

Medal sessions: 11

This day promises to be a feast of women’s sport in particular, with hockey, 20-over cricket and netball all coming to a head.

The squash competition culminates on this day as well, along with table tennis, para table tennis and cycling’s road race.

Athletics, para athletics, diving, badminton, beach volleyball and boxing also wrap up.