Manchester is in world's top ten for sport

Manchester has been named one of the world's top ten cities for hosting international sports events.

The results of the SportBusiness Ultimate Sports City award were announced this week at the SportAccord Convention in Dubai, and ranked Manchester at number seven in the world.

The results came after research was conducted across 150 cities and 2000 events, placing Manchester amongst an elite list of leading sport events hosts.

Manchester also walked away with two further accolades at the ceremony.

Manchester was named the best in the Small City category, focusing on cities with a population of less than one million people, and also won in the Best Legacy category, for the achievements built upon Manchester's successful hosting of the Commonwealth Games 2002.

Sir Howard Bernstein, chief executive at Manchester City Council said: "
This is an extraordinary achievement for Manchester to be recognised on the international stage with these prestigious awards. Our approach to sport has always been that it can be a catalyst for regeneration and a key way to create new opportunities. This has been seen most clearly through the legacy of the Commonwealth Games. I am particularly proud of the fact that of all the cities in the world, it has been recognised that Manchester leads the way on this. This is great news for the city and something we can build on for the future."

The awards come from the SportBusiness Group, the world's leading supplier of sporting information. This year's judging criteria included analysis of stadia and venues, transport and infrastructure, government and public support and testimonials from event personnel.
 
Andrew Stokes, chief executive of Marketing Manchester, the agency charged with promoting the city on a national and international stage, said: "This is great news for the city. To have Manchester's ability to host top flight, international sports events recognised by such a widely-respected industry magazine will, in no doubt, help to attract even more events in the future."

The prestigious accolades picked up by Manchester in Dubai will serve to strengthen England's 2018 World Cup bid. The recognition Manchester has received will add to its credentials as a host city, and the country's overall bid will be boosted by the fact that two of its cities - Manchester and London - appear in the Ultimate Sports City top ten
 
The cities that made it into the top ten of the Ultimate Sport City award in order of ranking from ten to one are: New York, Paris, Dubai, Manchester, Vancouver, Sydney, Berlin, London, Singapore and Melbourne in top spot.

For more information on the SportBusiness Awards visit www.sportbusiness.com