Phillips Idowu won Commonwealth gold for England in 2006

The BBC has announced it has won the rights to show the 2010 Commonwealth Games from Delhi in October.

The Games, which get under way from 3 October, will be available across TV, radio, online, iPlayer, mobile and new media outlets across the UK.

"We're delighted to have exclusive rights for the UK," said BBC Sport's head of major events Dave Gordon.

"The Games mark another step for athletes across the world as they prepare for the 2012 Olympics."

Gordon added: "We have a rich history of covering the Commonwealth Games and are looking forward to bringing the best of the action to the UK public."

The Commonwealth Games, which include many Olympic sports like athletics, cycling and swimming, were last held in Melbourne, Australia in 2006.

Unlike the Olympic Games where Britain competes under the Team GB banner, there are separate teams for England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales at the Commonwealths.

With a total of 17 sports, the Commonwealth Games are considered the third largest multi-sport event in the world, behind the Olympics and the Asian Games.

Much of the build-up to the event has been overshadowed by security concerns, with England forced to deny rumours that they would pull out.

A BBC spokesman insisted that full precautions would be taken to protect the staff covering the event in Delhi.

"We never discuss our security plans in advance, but we will naturally be taking all necessary steps, as we always do, to ensure the safety of all members of the BBC team," said the spokesman.

Glasgow will host the next Commonwealth Games in 2014.

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version