Getty Images
Daisy Mumby and Jessica Grimson reached the Quarter Finals in Birmingham 2022.

London born Daisy Mumby, is one half of England’s Beach Volley team. With her partner, Jessica Grimson, she reached the quarter-finals of Birmingham’s Commonwealth games. She describes it as one of the best moments of her career but fears it could be her last time at the tournament.

“The information our federation gives us is that they don’t have any information.”

She says there is no clarity for athletes as “no one seems to know anything or no one is saying anything.”

She fears that lack of interest in hosting could spell doom for its future. “If this games doesn’t happen, that’s probably it. The next one’s not going to happen and the one after that won’t either.”

Mumby was born in London and started her professional training in Crystal Palace. Four months ago she moved to Melbourne, Australia.

Despite the news of the Gold Coast pulling out only coming out this week, she tells me that in Australia “it hasn’t been a surprise.”

“I spoke to someone and when they heard there were rumours […] they were pretty confident it wasn’t going to happen.” She added that “sport is huge here as a country but the organisation is not great.”

The ballooning costs were the main reason Victoria, the original host, pulled out. They were looking down the barrel projected at £3.6 billion expenditure, 4 ½ times the cost of Birmingham 2022. The Gold Coast faced similarly high projections.

Team England celebrates after defeating Melissa Coutts and Lynne Beattie of Team Scotland during the Women's Beach Volleyball Preliminary Pool match on day five of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games at Smithfield on August 02, 2022 on the Birmingham, England
Mumby described the 2022 Commonwealth Games as a highlight of her career CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES.

Mumby described her anxiety at a cancellation or a postponement of her career. “For me, I’m 31 now, if it doesn’t happen that could be my last opportunity.”

She also spoke about the importance of the tournament for shining a light on smaller countries.

“It’s countries like Vanuatu that lose out. Vanuatu won bronze in beach volleyball at the last two Commonwealth Games but have found it very difficult to qualify for the Olympics.”