Wrestling action interrupted after speaker cover falls from Coventry Arena roof

Action in the morning session at the wrestling at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games was interrupted for almost two hours after a speaker cover fell from the roof at the Coventry Arena.

The incident occurred half an hour into the session which began at 10.30am on Friday morning, a spokesperson for Birmingham 2022 told the PA news agency.

No one was injured by the cover, but play was stopped and spectators were moved out of the viewing area for safety purposes while staff conducted checks on the other speakers fixed into the roof.

The action ultimately resumed at 1.30pm, with organisers having initially indicated play would restart at 12.45pm, and the delays to the morning session did not have any impact on the evening schedule which started at 5pm.

A Birmingham 2022 spokesperson said: “During this morning’s wrestling session at Coventry Arena, competition was suspended whilst a safety check was carried out at the venue.

“Spectators were informed of the pause in competition and were not required to leave the arena. The wrestling session has now resumed. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.”