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Commonwealth stadium

Organisers boast they have already attracted ?30m through sponsorship and overseas television and radio sales which they say is higher than any previous Commonwealth Games.

Games chairman Charles Allen pointed out the 2002 event will provide top-class facilities for the world's best competitors.

The new City of Manchester Stadium is on target, the Indoor Tennis and Squash Centre are under construction and the new Lawn Bowls Centre at Heaton Park is well under way.

Work starts on a new hockey centre in the next few weeks and the Manchester Aquatics Centre has been in use since it opened ahead of schedule last July.

More than ?145m has been invested in new sporting facilities which will continue in community use after the 2002 Games. A further ?200m in private sector investment has been made attracted to east Manchester.