European Indoor Athletics Championships: Glasgow to host 2019 event

Lynsey Sharp won Commonwealth 800m silver at Glasgow 2014

Glasgow has won the right to host the 2019 European Indoor Athletics Championships at the Emirates Arena.

The city was awarded the event ahead of Minsk in Belarus, plus Dutch contender Apeldoorn and Polish candidate Torun.

The Emirates Arena hosted the prestigious Indoor Grand Prix earlier this year and the British Athletics International Match from 2013 to 2015.

Glasgow held the 2014 Commonwealth Games, and previously the European Indoors at the Kelvin Hall in 1990.

"This is great news for Glasgow, for athletics in the UK in general and Scotland in particular," said Lynsey Sharp, the European 800m champion and Scottish record holder, who won a Commonwealth silver medal in the city two years ago.

"I can't wait to compete on home turf again and I'm confident that 2019 will be the best ever European Indoor Championships."

More than 600 athletes from the 50 European Athletics Member Federation countries are expected to participate in the three-day event, making it one of the biggest sporting events ever to be held in Glasgow.

Niels de Vos, chief executive of British Athletics, added: "With the city's amazing track record of hosting major events, in particular the 2014 Commonwealth Games and British Athletics events for many years, I'm certain that this will be a great championships."