Just a month after the Commonwealth Games take place in Delhi, the cream of Commonwealth sporting talent will be honoured at the ICC on November 6.

Launched in 1980, the prestigious award ceremony rewards the achievements of the greatest sportsmen and women from across the Commonwealth.

Previous winners include heptathlete Denise Lewis, cricket star Brian Lara, football stars Dwight Yorke and Michael Owen, boxers Lennox Lewis and Joe Calzaghe, cyclist Chris Hoy and marathon runner Paula Radcliffe.

The announcement is another major boost for the city following last month’s news that the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards are returning to Birmingham for the first time since 2007.

Birmingham City Council Leader Mike Whitby welcomed the announcement as yet another endorsement of the city’s sporting status.

He said: "This announcement shows the caliber of Birmingham as one of the premier sporting cities in the world.

"Birmingham has already staged more international sporting events than any other city in the UK and as well as hosting the 2010 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards we can now boast the fact that we will be welcoming the cream of Commonwealth sporting talent to our city in November.

"The fact that we are such a sporting, vibrant and multicultural city has been recognised by American and Jamaican athletes who have chosen Birmingham to prepare for the 2012 Olympic Games here and we can guarantee a warm welcome for the Commonwealth stars when they come to Birmingham in November."

Mike Fennell, the President of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), added: "These awards celebrate excellence in Commonwealth sport and it is vitally important that we recognise the achievements of our Commonwealth athletes.

"There is a lot of inter-city competition in England to host awards ceremonies such as these which is great for us as an organisation as we have so many fantastic different options to chose from.

"Leeds did a great job hosting the awards last year and but I am sure Birmingham will put on a spectacular show in hosting the event this year."

Meanwhile, the founder of the Awards Al Hamilton revealed that he is delighted by how the prestige of the award ceremony and the fierce competition to host it has continued to increase over the years.

He said: "I’m excited to bring the awards to Birmingham and we can look forward to saluting the great and the good of Commonwealth sport.

"Over the years these awards have recognised some real superstars but also many, many unsung heroes.

"The awards look to celebrate discipline, dedication and devotion throughout the Commonwealth."

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May 2010: BBC Sports Personality of the Year to return to Birmingham