THE 15 venues that will be hosting events at Coventry’s British Transplant Games this summer have been revealed.
The Games, which will take place between July 27 and July 31, aim to raise awareness of the life-saving benefits of organ donation while encouraging organ recipients to stay active afterwards.
The University of Warwick will be hosting events such as track and field, tennis, sports hall athletics and darts at several venues including the Westwood Campus Athletics Track, Tennis Centre, Sports and Wellbeing Hub and the Rootes Building.
War Memorial Park will host the annual donor run, the only event in the Games which is open to all.
The run aims to thank donors for their life-saving sacrifices.
The opening ceremony will be held at Broadgate, which will welcome transplanted athletes, donor families and live donors to the city.
The ceremony will include the lighting of the official donor family flame and the passing of Tom’s Baton, which was created to symbolise the passing of organs and the life-saving benefits of transplants.
The Coventry Building Society Arena will host the children’s team closing ceremony gala which will mark the end of the Games, while Coventry University’s sport and recreation centre and The Place will host basketball and football events.
And other Games venues include the Alan Higgs Centre, Tudor Grange Cycle Track, The Warwickshire Golf and Country Club, Coventry Avenue Bowls Club and Riley’s Coventry.
Coventry’s British Transplant Games was originally scheduled to take place in 2020 but was cancelled due to the pandemic and the city previously held the event in 2009.
The games are expected to attract around 2,500 participants to the city, with athletes aged between three to over 80 representing more than 50 UK-wide hospital teams.
Last weekend, over 50 team managers from across the UK visited Coventry, where they held planning workshops and sessions and visited the Games venues.
Coventry team manager Declan Logue said: “The Games are so special to me and it’s a real honour to represent my city and hospital on our home turf.
“I can’t wait to welcome all the other teams to Coventry to celebrate the gift of life and thank our donors.”
