LONDON: Birmingham has been chosen over Liverpool for England's bid to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has backed the West Midlands city which would have to convince the Commonwealth Games Federation it should stage the event, BBC reports.
However, it must first be decided whether to go ahead with a formal bid.
Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia is likely to be the main rival after Durban was stripped of the event in March.
Both Birmingham and Liverpool expressed early interest and put together competing bids.
Birmingham's proposal to create the UK's largest permanent athletics stadium supplemented by four indoor arenas was central to its bid.
"While both bids were of high quality, Birmingham's bid was considered particularly strong on its management of risk, its high quality existing venue infrastructure and its plans for a long term sporting legacy," BBC quotes UK Sports Minister Tracey Crouch as stating Thursday.
"The government will look at the final bid proposal from Birmingham and decide if a formal bid will be submitted to the Commonwealth Games Federation," she added.
"We need to be completely satisfied that the bid offers overall value for money from hosting the Games and that a strong economic and sporting legacy can be delivered from it."
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