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The Documentary: Birmingham’s grassroots heroes

Birmingham’s grassroots heroes

26/07/2022 GMT

BBC World Service - The Documentary, Birmingham’s grassroots heroes

Exploring what the idea of "commonwealth" means to Birmingham's grassroots sports heroes.

The 2022 Commonwealth Games is being hosted by the UK’s central city of Birmingham - ethnically diverse and where the age profile is younger compared to other British cities. It is home to many people with familial links to commonwealth member countries such as India and the Caribbean. As Birmingham welcomes 4,500 athletes from around the world, Nina Robinson talks to the city’s ‘Hometown Heroes’ - locals who have been recognised for their contribution to sport. These include wrestling coach, Ranjit Singh who has been teaching wrestling from his local Sikh Gurdwara for decades and Joan Hunter who has helped grow many generations of local netball players. 

We also meet Jeevan Chaggar – the youngest person ever to be made Chair of an English Hockey Club and Salma Bi who founded the UK’s first South Asian women’s cricket team in the UK and has received the British Empire Medal for services to cricket and diversity in sport.   
Will the Games leave a positive legacy worth keeping and how much relevance does the commonwealth as an institution hold for residents in 2022?

Presenter: Nina Robinson 
Researcher: Dylan Hayward. 
A Soundtruism production for BBC World Service

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