Tickets on sale for spectacular sports

Feel the excitement, tension and sheer exhilaration of some of the best international sports events, which will be played out on the Manchester stage this summer.

Manchester has announced another spectacular line-up of sporting events for 2009, following hot on the heels of the outstanding Manchester World Sport 08, which saw the city host six international sporting events and crowned the world's leading Sport City, and promises the perfect way for families and sports fans to spend their leisure time.

Manchester's major events programme, coordinated by Manchester City Council kicks off on Sunday 17 May with the Great Manchester Run when 30,000 people will be joined by Olympic gold-medalist, Usain Bolt, for the 10k race between Deansgate and Old Trafford.

This will be swiftly followed by the Paralympic World Cup, which is the first major multi-sports elite disability event to be staged since the Beijing Paralympic Games last year. The city council is now also expanding its sports events programme to include a variety of different sports.

The Co-operative World Netball Series is coming to the M.E.N. Arena in October and the Standard Bank Cup Argentina vs England rugby union international at Old Trafford in June will be the first time that such a fixture has been held in the city for twelve years.

Councillor Mike Amesbury, Executive Member for Culture and Leisure at Manchester City Council said: "We have invested greatly in sport and are now reaping the rewards by attracting major international tournaments to Manchester across a number of sporting disciplines. It's a real opportunity for local people to watch some outstanding sports tournaments and will also attract a huge number of tourists to the city from around the world."

The British Cycling team who train at the Manchester Velodrome, and are famed for their phenomenal performances at the Beijing Olympics last summer will be taking part in a trio of track cycling events during October and November and tickets are selling fast.

Other key Olympic sports including taekwondo, squash, water polo and badminton are also intrinsic to this summer's sports events line-up demonstrating Manchester's continued commitment to the British team on the road to London 2012.

Councillor Mike Amesbury, Executive Member for Culture and Leisure at Manchester City Council said: "We are focused on providing our elite athletes with the best training possible but even more importantly, these world class facilities are open to all members of the public to use."

Manchester residents can access the world-class sports facilities at Sportcity in East Manchester and the Manchester Aquatics Centre on Oxford Road for their own personal use so whether it's watching or participating in sport, Manchester is the place to be this summer.

For a full programme of events and how to book tickets visit www.manchesterlive.co.uk