The competition schedule for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, between July 28 and August 8, has been announced.

Set to be the biggest multi-sport event in the UK for a decade, it will involve 4,500 athletes competing from all-round the Commonwealth competing across 19 different sports.

The schedule for the 22nd edition includes the start and finish times for all 286 sessions of the Games, plus information about when the 283 gold medals are up for grabs. The opening ceremony is scheduled for the evening of Thursday, July 28 with the sporting action set to start the following day.

Medal sessions have been confirmed for swimming, track cycling, gymnastics and triathlon, all sports in which the host nation [England] has reigning Commonwealth champions.

Organisers have confirmed that more medals will be awarded to women than men for the first time at a major multi-sports event.

August 7 will be a showcase for women’s team sport, with the medal matches for hockey, cricket T20 and netball all taking place on the same day.

It will be the first time that women’s cricket T20 has featured at a Commonwealth Games and Edgbaston - one of the world’s most prestigious cricket grounds - will host matches at 11am and 6pm during the early stages of the tournament.

Nigel Huddleston, UK Government’s Minister for Sport, Tourism and Heritage, explained: ’There will be a series of stand-out sessions in this exciting sports programme, not least the fantastic showcase of women’s team sport with hockey, netball and T20 cricket gold medals all being won on the same day.

’The Birmingham Commonwealth Games will provide some of the most memorable moments in what is set to be an incredible year of celebration for the UK in 2022.’

The ceremonies team will be most in demand on August 2 when nine sports will award medals and August 7 when the medallists in 11 different sports will be decided.

The final day of competition will be August 8 when gold medals will be awarded in diving, table tennis, badminton, squash and hockey.

Smithfield, in the centre of Birmingham, will be transformed for the Games and come alive in the afternoon/evenings with beach volleyball, basketball and wheelchair basketball matches.

The busiest venue during the Games will be the all-new state-of-the-art Sandwell Aquatics Centre with 66 medal events in swimming, para swimming and diving.

Basil Bielich, president of the Commonwealth Games Association of the Isle of Man, had this to say with regards to the schedule announcements: ’We are well underway with our plans to send a strong Isle of Man team to Birmingham in 2022.

’The new version of the schedule for events looks very exciting and we are looking forward to some of our team members being in the thick of the action from day one.

’The Covid pandemic is proving a challenge since the vast majority of Isle of Man-based athletes have been unable to compete off-island since the onset of the pandemic.

’However, we are working with local sporting associations on various options so that they can secure the necessary standards to be considered for selection.’

l The new schedule is available to view on www.birmingham2022.com where details of ticket sales will be announced at a later date.