West Midlands set for £6m boost from sporting events this month
The West Midlands is preparing for a "significant economic boost" as it plays host to a massive month of sporting action, with three major international tournaments set to draw visitors to the region.
Throughout March, the West Midlands will be the backdrop as the world’s best badminton, kabaddi and esports players thrill more than 50,000 fans in arenas across the region, plus an estimated television audience reach of hundreds of millions of people.
Follwing last week's YONEX All England Open Badminton Championships held in Birmingham, The Paddy Power Kabaddi World Cup 2025 kicks off this week across Wolverhampton, Birmingham, Coventry, and Walsall) before ‘Game On Birmingham’ gets underway including the British Esports Cup (26 March), West Midlands Unwrapped (28 March) and Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS) 2025 Major Birmingham (29-30 March, bp pulse LIVE, Solihull);
Combined, the events are anticipated to bring £5.8 million in economic impact for the West Midlands.
The Paddy Power Kabaddi World Cup 2025 will see 16 men’s and eight women’s teams from countries including India, China, USA and England compete in the West Midlands, the first time the competition has been hosted outside Asia. Kabaddi is the fastest growing sport in South Asia, with this year’s tournament taking place in Wolverhampton, Birmingham, Coventry and Walsall.
Cllr Bhupinder Gakhal, City of Wolverhampton Council Cabinet Member for Resident Services, said:
“We are delighted to be hosting the 2025 Kabaddi World Cup in Wolverhampton and the West Midlands.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming men’s and women’s teams from around the globe and to hosting the finals, semi-finals and group stages in our city.
“Events of this scale bring direct and indirect economic benefit, and it once again shows what a great sporting city Wolverhampton is. The tournament will put the region firmly on the map as a destination of choice.”
The Paddy Power Kabaddi World Cup and RLCS 2025 Major Birmingham are two of the nine cultural and sporting events to have shared £3 million of Commonwealth Games legacy funding.
Joel Lavery, Strategic Lead for Major Sporting Events, West Midlands Growth Company, said: “The Commonwealth Games Legacy Fund has provided us with a platform to stage major events, which align with our values and celebrate and showcase the West Midlands.
“From hosting global sport conferences like SportAccord to innovative formats such as FISE Xperience, these prestigious events have given us the opportunity to show domestic and international audiences that this region loves its sport and has the passion, infrastructure and track record to create unforgettable sporting memories.
“March promises to be a momentous month for sport in the West Midlands, with three major events in quick succession. Global audiences will visit or tune in to see a region, which is not only at the heart of sport in the UK, but committed to attracting youthful, inclusive and diverse sporting events. These tournaments will help to raise the region’s profile and deliver real economic and social benefits for the West Midlands.”
