prepare to watch the show s final episode. the opening ceremony of the 22nd commonwealth games takes place in birmingham tonight. prince charles will represent the queen and 30,000 people will be inside the alexander stadium, with millions more watching around the world. the show will include performances from local music and dance groups, emphasising the city s diversity. more than 5,000 athletes are set to compete over a packed 11 days. they will be representing 72 nations and territories. the queen s baton will also be a key part of that ceremony, after being carried for 294 days through commonwealth countries. athletes will compete in 19 sports and 280 medal events, which will include for the first time women s t20 cricket, 3 on 3 basketball and 3 on 3 wheelchair basketball. also for the first time, there are more medals for women than for men, and para events are all part of the main games. 0ur sports reporterjoe lynsky explains what s in store. they have waited four yea
in sandwell, one of the most diverse and densely populated parts of the city. this place has never had a resource like this before. but now it s got an aquatics centre. i feel extremely lucky because i don t think it will just affect us, it will affect future generations. in, like, 20 years time, yeah, i was there, yeah, i was there, i saw all this happen. the centre has been stitched into smethwick in sandwell borough. by next year, it will be a multipurpose facility. for this community, it is a gateway to sport that, without the games, would not be here. ijoined smethwick swimming club when i was 11. we were fortunate to have pools close by, but nothing like we are going to have now. we ve talked about this for a long time, we have dreamed about it. it is real now. and it is just going to give so many opportunities for youngsters from around here. for someone who has been involved in smethwick swimming for so long, what does it mean to you to have
it will affect future generations. in, like, 20 years time, yeah, i was there, i saw this happen. the centre has been stitched into smethwick in sandwell borough. by next year, it will be a multipurpose facility. for this community, it is a gateway to sport that, without the games, would not be here. ijoined smethwick swimming club when i was 11. we were fortunate to have pools close by, but nothing like we are going to have now. we ve talked about this for a long time, we have dreamed about it. it is real now. and it is just going to give so many opportunities for youngsters from around here. for someone who has been involved in smethwick swimming for so long, what does it mean to you to have this venue at these commonwealth games? well, i m speechless. itjust is so amazing. and the fact that this event is going to come to smethwick and people all around the world are going to be watching is just so amazing. it s usually something that happens somewhere else.