The chance to showcase Sutton Coldfield can be huge boost for town

Sutton Park will host the triathlon and para-triathlon events when the games come to Birmingham in 2022, organisers have confirmed.

And Simon Ward, leader of the Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Council, says that can only be good news, providing prestige for the area and handing local businesses a much-neededshot in the arm.

He told the Express and Star: “It is absolutely brilliant and it gives us the opportunity to showcase Sutton Park and the town as a whole.

“The park is such a tremendous resource for us to have.

“To walk around some of the 2400 acres and see all the different aspects it has, from archaeological interest to leisure, it’s amazing.“The park is high on the list of things that our town is famous for and the council has always been keen to bang the drum about it. So having the triathlon here, it’s great new for us.

“It is also a fantastic boost for local businesses, whether in the town centre or in, for example, areas such as Boldmere.

“For retailers in Sutton Coldfield at present, it’s no different to anywhere else in the country, it’s been hard, a challenging time.

“Seeing an opportunity like this moving forward is a real positive and hopefully businesses in the area will see an opportunity to take advantage of this.”

The Birmingham Commonwealth Games will be held from July 28 until August 8 2022.

Dennis Kennedy, organiser of the annual Community Games in Sutton Coldfield, said: “The fact the Games are coming to Birmingham, right on our doorstep, is brilliant news. To have this great, big, fantastic sporting festival with accessible and traditional sports just a stone’s throw away can only boost our town.

“And Sutton Park is, of course, the jewel in the crown for Sutton Coldfield and I think having the triathlon there will really highlight the beauty of the area to a global audience.”