Paralympic champion Hannah Cockroft has said the coverage of the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games will be a ‘massive opportunity’ for para events. 

It was announced on Wednesday that the BBC will broadcast the event, which is set to be the largest ever integrated para-sport programme.

The 28 year-old Brit, who has five Paralympic gold medals, said: "For para sport, number one to get the coverage is going to be absolutely monumental for us the year after a Paralympic Games."

The Paralympic Games in Tokyo were postponed from 2020 to the summer of 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

She added: "Things do tend to fall off a little after a Paralympics so this opportunity is massive for us.

"It’s an integrated championships, it is the only one of its kind, which means that we can teach more people about our sport, we can show more people our sport, and hopefully grow a bigger fan base.

"So it’s a massive, massive opportunity, and I can’t wait to see what we can do with it."

It will also be the first time Cockroft competes at a Commonwealth Games, something she feels will be a very special occasion.

Cockroft, who will race in the T33/34 100m, said: "When I heard that there was going to be an event that I can target at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games I honestly nearly cried.

"This is such amazing news as I didn’t think I was going to get this opportunity in my career and it has been the medal missing from my collection for all of these years.

"Hopefully I will be adding a Commonwealth title to a retained Paralympic title! If I get there, if I get selected, the Commonwealth Games is going to take massive priority for me, I have always wanted to do that. It is going to take a lot of planning to make sure I can peak for all the major events that we have that year."