'UK take gold for biggest waste of public money yet as Commonwealth Games kick off'

Paul Routledge says he doesn't understand the fact that £778 million of taxpayers' hard-earned money was used to organize the Commonwealth Games sports extravaganza

Some 270 medalists will get a "podium", and anyone looking at the lot will receive the Clare Balding Cross for Endurance, says Paul Routledge (

Image: SCU)

If you think Wimbledon was a BBC boreathon, try the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham which opened tonight.

The Beeb broadcasts over 200 hours of running, jumping and throwing things over the next 11 days: a TV marathon that beats everything on the track.

Some events are downright ridiculous, like beach volleyball. Beach? Haze ? The nearest seaside is Weston-super-Mare, 200km away in Somerset.

But Beeb bosses, angered by criticism of "too little" coverage of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, are determined to win gold for synchronized boredom on all channels, all day and half the night.

Some 270 medalists will get a "podium", and everyone who watches the bundle will receive the Clare Balding Cross for Endurance. Last night's spectacular 'Peaky Blinders' opening ceremony scored big numbers, and 35 million UK viewers - half the country's population - are expected to watch the tournament. I doubt it.

The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony (

Picture:

Birmingham Live)

Be that as it may, even that figure pales in comparison to the £778 million of public money paid for the event.

Struggled municipal taxpayers, already hit by £184m, must now plug a newly discovered £25m black hole in partner contributions.

As if the people of Birmingham haven't had enough to start with a spooky neon-lit dungeon for a station - now they have to dig deep for an event that Durban, South Africa, rejected because of the cost .

You may have noticed that I am not part of the PR team for the sports festival. In a cost of living crisis like today's, I think it's a pleasure...