Canada's team at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will be in safe hands - as they will have not one but two Chefs de Mission to lean on.

Both Claire Carver-Dias and Sam Effah will be at the helm after being substituted into the roles when preparations for the Games were already in full swing.

Swimming legend Benoît Huot had initially been appointed way back in July 2020, but the nine-time Paralympic champion stepped away for family reasons in April, with his wife expecting their second child.

The announcement of Carver-Dias and Effah came with around 100 days to go until the Birmingham 2022 Opening Ceremony, and in that situation two pairs of hands are better than one.

"When I heard about Benoit's good news I was excited to have a second turn," said Carver-Dias, a double Commonwealth Games artistic swimming gold medallist who was Chef de Mission on her own at Gold Coast 2018.

"The order of the day is do whatever it takes to ensure the team can perform at the best of its abilities.

"A Games like this, one of the first major multi-sport Games during COVID, has all sorts of complications.

"We have got five Villages and I feel we are better able to face those challenges with two of us.

"I've done it before but every Games is a different animal.

"So this will be completely unique, and I'm going to benefit from having Sam here."

Effah, a former sprinter, has twice been crowned as Canadian champion over 100 metres and competed at the Commonwealth Games in 2010 and 2018.

"Initially we had to adapt quickly," he said. "But ultimately we're ready to go. 

"I can't thank the team behind the scenes who are making this all happen enough. 

"As when a change like this does happen, people have to spring into duty and they've absolutely done an amazing job to not only support us as co Chefs de Mission, but the athletes on the ground will be supported and will be able to have everything they need even though there was that last minute switch. 

"We're hungry to make this happen."

Carver-Dias won the Commonwealth solo and duet titles at Manchester 2002 and also claimed team bronze at the Sydney 2000 Olympics.

"The people on Team Canada who have been on this journey since the last Games, and getting ready for these Games, are seasoned professionals," she added.

"Even though we came in at the last minute with 100 days to go, they had everything well in hand.

"So it made it really easy for us to slip into the role.

"And having two of us sharing the role makes a little bit of the lift lighter." 

Canada is one of the powerhouse Commonwealth nations and is expected to take around 300 athletes to Birmingham, across most of the sports on the programme.

Big names confirmed include Tokyo 2020 Olympic 200 metres champion Andre De Grasse, and swimmer Maggie Mac Neil who won a medal of each colour at the Games in Japan.

Olympic sprint champion Kelsey Mitchell will feature in cycling but Canada's most decorated Summer Olympian, swimmer Penny Oleksiak, will not compete after opting to focus on the World Championships in Budapest.

"The thing with the Commonwealth Games is it's extremely competitive," said Effah.

"Our athletes treat this on the same level as an Olympic Games. 

"It's a great place to get not only experience, but to push for the podium and as a former sprinter I know the competition!

"You have the Caribbean nations who tend to dominate at sprints, the Jamaicans, Trinidad and Tobago...

"You have West Africans. And then of course Great Britain and parts of Europe who are at these Games.

"We take it very serious.

"It's a world-class sporting competition. It's something that we tend to do well in, and I think when you are an athlete you want to have these experiences so when you are on the global stage you can perform. 

"And that's what the Commonwealth Games provides."

Carver-Dias said Gold Coast was a perfect example of how the Commonwealth Games can act as a springboard for athletes to move onto the Olympic stage.

"We had 282 athletes who were members of the team in 2018," she said.

"Around 33 per cent of those also went to the Tokyo Olympic Games.

"Out of Canada's 24 medals that we won in Tokyo, 18 were in Commonwealth sports and 16 were won by Commonwealth athletes.

"So in other words the Games really sets up Canadians for Olympic and Paralympic success as well."

Canada can once again expect to be in the upper echelons of the medal table in Birmingham.

"We like to keep the pressure off but we are pushing for high performance," said Effah.

"Eighty-two medals were won at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, and that placed us fourth overall. 

"We're definitely always pushing to not only reach those levels but do the best we can to exceed.

"I wouldn't necessarily say that's the benchmark, but that's where we've been at in the past so it's always great to look at those markers and just keep pushing.

"We're more than capable, we have an amazing group of athletes that are hungry to get some medals."

Carver-Dias, who has served on the Board of Commonwealth Sport Canada, added: "Sometimes we forget that there are 'Commonwealth only' sports.

"I had a great time in 2018 watching bowls, I had never seen lawn bowls previously.

"That's the highlight of their competitive schedule.

"I remember watching [bowler] Ryan Bester winning a silver in 2018 and it will be exciting to have him back.

"Those are some of the fun things about the Commonwealth Games, there are all these sports we excel at and this is the biggest point of their competitive calendar."

Carver-Dias also won two Pan American Games golds in the pool and a World Championship bronze.

Her Commonwealth Games titles came at the end of her competitive career, a different way around to how many other athletes do it.

"I took a bit of an unconventional journey to the Commonwealth Games," she said. "It is often the first major multi-sport Games for an athlete but for me it was my swansong, it was the way I ended my career.

"I actually delayed my retirement from sport in order to go to the Commonwealth Games in 2002 and compete in the UK.

"My parents are Welsh and I had family that came and watched from Wales and Canada.

"It was just a great way to wrap up my swimming career."

Effah has served as a Right to Play athlete ambassador and was a contestant on the television show The Amazing Race.

"My experience at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in India was an interesting one," he said.

"It was my first jump onto the international scene in terms of sprinting and it was great.

"I had never competed in India, and it was my first international multi-sport finals.

"I ended up placing seventh and I was disappointed with my performance.

"But that was one of the experiences which kicked off this hunger in me to push to get to the podium.

"I also realised how competitive these Games are and how you have to really put in that work and get that consistent effort.

"When I think back to 2018 it was a bit of a contrast as an older athlete.

"One thing that stood out to me was how well they did throughout those Games.

"We saw the athletes supported, we saw the people in the Village supported.

"We saw staff, we saw volunteers. Everyone was excited to have those Games and I think that's where the Commonwealth Games stands out.

"You have really dedicated volunteers, both 2010 in India and 2018 in Gold Coast.

"It was a great experience and I know that Birmingham won't disappoint."

Birmingham 2022's multi-Village model means Canada's large squad will be split up across several sites, perhaps making it more difficult to achieve a "one team" mentality and generate camaraderie. 

"That's been one of the main focuses, we've been thinking about that a lot," said Carver-Dias. 

"How do you create a 'Team Canada feel' when you've got people split into different Villages?

"Our response is we are so used to, after this COVID era, remote communication.

"We're used to finding ways to connect when we're not together. 

"So we're going to take all of that experience that we've gained over the last two-and-a-half years and apply it to these Games.

"I think it also creates an opportunity for sports to really focus on performance and not have some of the distractions that happen with a very large Village."

Canada has hosted the Commonwealth Games four times - including the inaugural edition in Hamilton in 1930 after local sports journalist Bobby Robinson, an athletics team manager at the Amsterdam 1928 Olympics, founded the event.

Further Canadian Games were held in Vancouver in 1954, Edmonton in 1978 and Victoria in 1994.

It is now hoped that Hamilton can secure the 2030 Games which would serve as a centenary edition.

"This is something that Canada wants and Canada needs," said Carver-Dias.

"Athletes will benefit from having another Summer Games in Canada.

"The organisers who are going to put forward the bid for Hamilton have some really innovative ideas about how they can create a Games that has a legacy."

The Commonwealth Games Federation's new blueprint for the Games, which lists athletics and swimming as the only compulsory sports and allows for the event to be held across multiple cities and Villages, could provide cost-saving incentives for potential hosts.

"I'm excited about how it creates this opportunity for us to think about future Games and cost savings and not having these massive white elephants," Carver-Dias added.

"I only see the opportunity in this new model."

Effah said that he was excited at the potential opportunity for Hamilton to host 100 years on. 

"We want to have a Games that not only uplifts us in sport but, coming fully out of a pandemic, hopefully by that time, is something that would be huge," he said.

"That would be the 100th anniversary as well so it would definitely make things extremely special."

A potential spanner in the works could be Vancouver's interest in holding the Winter Olympics in the same year, but Carver-Dias believes that Canada could host both.

"We see it as an opportunity," she said. "A Winter Games on the west side and a summer sport Games on the east side of Canada. We're a huge country and 2030 could be the year of sport in Canada.

"So we actually see it as something exciting and to be sought-after rather than avoided."

For now though, Birmingham 2022 is at the forefront of the pair's thoughts.

"This is my first go at it," said Effah.

"I'm super excited. Claire was Chef de Mission in 2018 so to be co-Chef with Claire is an honour.

"She brings the experience that I think we'll need going into these Games.

"For me to have her to look up to and to have her take me under her wing as we work side by side is going to be great, as she's seen this in action from the other side.

"When we go out there, we are not only going to be motivating, we're going to be giving pep talks, we're going to be pushing for Team Canada to bring medals.

"That's what I'm excited to see. 

"I want to see the Kelsey Mitchells, the lawn bowls. I want to see netball, table tennis, aquatics...

"The list goes on."

October 2021 - Falkland Islands

You would be hard pushed to find a team more enthused about the Commonwealth Games than the Falkland Islands.

The tiny archipelago at the foot of South America is home to a little more than 3,000 people but, according to their Birmingham 2022 Chef de Mission Andrew Brownlee, they live and breathe the movement.

"The Falklands are just so pro-Commonwealth, and it always makes us smile when we get all the useful correspondence from the host city on trying to generate interest," Brownlee tells insidethegames. 

"They are pushing not just against an unlocked door, but against a wide open door which never closes. 

"The Falklands embrace everything that's Commonwealth, both in the schools and all the sports clubs, especially those that take part in the Commonwealth Games. 

"We're just so into the whole Commonwealth thing, it is massive." 

For athletes representing the Falkland Islands, the Commonwealth Games is the grandest stage for them to compete.

It is hoped that a team of around 30 will be sent to Birmingham 2022, in sports including badminton, road cycling, lawn bowls, table tennis and triathlon.

In table tennis, it is hoped that the Falklands will be able to select their first ever Para-athlete.

"It is the pinnacle of their sporting careers to be able to represent their country at the Commonwealth Games, which are so special and so different and better in so many ways than the Olympic Movement," said Brownlee, who has recently retired after 38 years with the Falkland Islands Defence Forces.

"Because it's far more personal and not just another generic international sporting event. 

"The Commonwealth has still got that uniqueness that we really treasure.

"Our main teams and sportsmen and women, they kind of never really stop. 

"It all seems to morph nicely from one Games to the next, and especially on the sports management side.

"Our other big multi-sport event is the Island Games, it's a never-ending cycle." 

The Falkland Islands has never won a Commonwealth Games medal and sent 15 athletes last time to Gold Coast 2018.

Ten of these were shooters, but the sport has been left off the Birmingham 2022 programme which is viewed as a blow.

"It's a huge disappointment actually," Brownlee, who has served as Chef de Mission at four previous Commonwealth Games and one Commonwealth Youth Games, said. "Shooting was the first ever sport that we took part in, and the Falklands has a very long tradition in shooting.

"The Falkland Islanders start to shoot at a very early age. It's one of those sports that is relatively inexpensive to get into. 

"Facilities wise, it's not too onerous to set up. It's a traditional sport and it was a huge disappointment that Birmingham won't host it. 

"Bearing in mind that they've got Bisley an hour and 15 minutes away, it would have been an easy one to organise I would have thought, but I understand there were a few issues.

"We are where we are and we are very grateful for Birmingham, who have had less than four years to prepare. I'm sure they are going to put on a spectacular Games."

India, a Commonwealth Games superpower, vocally protested the absence of shooting.

The country was due to host a separate Commonwealth Archery and Shooting Championships in Chandigarh, but the event has been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

COVID-19 has been an issue in the Falkland Islands but not to the same extent as elsewhere.

The badminton team may have to cancel a training camp in Denmark next year, but at home life is continuing.

"It certainly scuppered our athletes being able to take part in international events," Brownlee, whose son Mike competed in badminton at the 2010 and 2014 Games, and carried the flag at the latter, said. 

"Locally not, because we don't have COVID within the community. The handful of cases we have had were caught during our strict quarantine regime. 

"Life in that respect has been normal for athletes but it's just been in-house stuff. 

"We did host the Falkland Games which was great fun. We had four teams and it was a random selection from our sporting fraternity. 

"They took part in about 10 different sports, ranging from netball to hockey and great competitiveness was shown. 

"There were a lot of injuries, they don't hold back our guys! We were able to hold that so it was a morale booster and a nice bit of community spirit in these difficult times." 

Limited facilities and challenges with funding are ever-present issues for Falkland Islands athletes.

"The lawn bowls club have to set up their mats in a long corridor in the senior school, they haven't got their outdoor facility yet," Brownlee, who also serves as a firefighter, said. 

"The resourcefulness of all the sports is quite incredible. If you had prima donnas they just wouldn't train, but the Falklands athletes and the Falklands people are very resourceful and they have a 'can do' attitude.

"They think 'okay, we might not have a Grade-A facility, but we've got this, it's better than nothing'. 

"So they crack on and make the best of what they've got. And that kind of typifies the Falklands mentality. If we haven't got something we'll make it, or we'll adapt something.

"We do have some corporate sponsors we're incredibly grateful for, and the Falkland Islands Government as well. 

"Athletes often have to dip into their own pocket, that just shows their dedication to the sport. I bet there would be a lot of athletes from bigger countries, if you said 'you've got to pay towards some of this', they would look at you twice and not be too happy.

"The National Sports Council has recently been given the task of project managing the building of a new sports facility with an all-weather multi-sport pitch. 

"We've finalised the concept for the design and we're hoping by early next year the diggers will be in and that will be underway." 

At present, the only way to reach the Falkland Islands from Britain is an 18-hour flight via the Royal Air Force, with a fuel stop in Dakar in Senegal.

The Queen's Baton Relay is scheduled to make the journey next year, with Brownlee describing people in the Falklands as "true monarchists". 

"It's always a fun few days," he said. "It gets taken to the hospital, it gets taken out to the remote settlements where people can come and have their picture taken and have their moment with the Queen's baton."

He added: "It's a great privilege and an honour to be able to take part in such a prestigious event as the Commonwealth Games.

"It's one of the proudest moments you'll ever have, walking out at the Opening Ceremony behind your country's flag. 

"Even thinking about it makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up."

Anguilla - October 2021

The expectation of fans at Birmingham 2022 means next year's Commonwealth Games could be particularly special.

With COVID-19 forcing the Tokyo 2020 Olympics to be held behind closed doors, the prospect of cheering crowds at a multi-sport event once again is a tantalising one. 

Cardigan Connor, Anguilla's Chef de Mission for Birmingham 2022, certainly knows the impact those in the stands can have.

The cricketer, who took more than 1,000 wickets when playing for Hampshire to become part of the English county's folklore, was once given a helping hand from a mystery voice.

"I remember we played a game against Surrey, if we won that game we'd have won the league," Connor told insidethegames.

"Surrey had put on a big partnership, they were five wickets down and I dropped a catch. 

"I had to bowl the last over and they needed seven runs to win.

"It was like the film Angels in the Outfield, where the angels would move the goalposts and stuff like that, or catch the ball and keep it in play. 

"And I remember this old lady said to me 'come on Cardy, you can win it for us'. 

"And I don't know if that was a real person, but in my mind it was the best words I ever heard on a cricket field. 

"Because I was pretty much blaming myself, but they only got three runs. 

"It was her inspiration. I don't know her name, I don't know where she came from. She was supporting me and Hampshire that day."

Anguilla has competed at six Commonwealth Games, and Connor has been Chef de Mission since Manchester 2002.

The small Caribbean island is aiming to take 13 athletes to Birmingham 2022, including six in athletics.

They also plan to compete in cycling, boxing and swimming.

"If you consider that we have only about 14,000 people, when we take 13 athletes to the Games the whole island is covered," said Connor.

"There is a great deal of interest in the Games. People don't expect us to win medals, but I think Anguillans understand that it's more a breeding ground for athletes to go on and represent England or Great Britain at the higher level. 

"Professionally, we just cannot afford to look after the athletes. If an athlete gets injured, and they have an operation and then need rehab, with the time they need to train, unless they work for Government, or the Government gives them the money, it's very difficult. 

"We don't have a proper track, we don't have any training pools in Anguilla. We rely very heavily on natural ability." 

The men's 100 metres final at Tokyo 2020, for many the blue-riband event of any Olympics, included a man from Anguilla.

Zharnel Hughes, racing for Britain, suffered heartbreak as he was disqualified for a false start.

There could soon be more anguish for the sprinter, and Anguilla itself, with the Tokyo silver he won as part of the 4x100m relay team at risk due to CJ Ujah's positive drugs test.

"We're like the factory mill and the breeding ground, and we share in the success of Zharnel and Shara Proctor, whether it's running for GB or England," Connor, who has now moved into politics, said. 

"They are good ambassadors for us here in Anguilla. We don't expect them to get up on the podium and shout 'Anguilla', as they have a responsibility to the country that put them in that position. 

"But when they come home they will go to the schools and encourage the athletes. It's very good PR.

"Having Zharnel out there in the finals of the Olympics, running well, he's a role model here and a local hero, same as Shara. 

"What the Anguillan youngsters can see, and what the coaches can see, is that there is a path to the very top, to mix it with the best in the world."

At the Los Angeles 1984 Olympics another Anguillan, triple jumper Keith Connor, won a bronze medal in British colours.

He also won two Commonwealth Games titles and a European gold during a career which later saw him appointed as head coach of Athletics Australia.

These were superb achievements for a man from an island which has to fight against the odds - such as the constant threat of hurricanes.

In 2017, Hurricane Irma caused widespread damage, including to the island's only hospital, and sport was forced to completely rebuild.

Cardigan Connor once said that "to live in paradise, you have to accept that sometimes the devil will knock at your door".

"Irma was a devastating hurricane," he said. "The park where we play cricket is also where we have track and field. 

"We were able to get £60 million from Britain to help rebuild infrastructure, but that was mainly the schools and the health facilities. 

"There was nothing really for the park or the pavilion, so we are short on structural facility. 

"In football, FIFA have still been able to give money each year and the good thing is our youngsters are staying active. 

"You try to give them as many options as possible. Right now, football is the main option."

 COVID-19 has had limited impact on athletes in Anguilla, and the island's strong links with Britain will also be an advantage in Birmingham.

"England makes it a lot easier for us," Connor said. "The athletes will have family there, so they go and get acclimatised. 

"By the time the Games come around they won't feel as if they are trying to settle in, whether it's with the food or the change in weather."

One English town giving Anguilla special backing will be Slough, around two hours away from Birmingham on the outskirts of London.

A number of people from the island moved there in the 1950s and 1960s, with several working at a Mars factory.

"Every Anguillan has got a family member in Slough," Connor said.

"A number of Anguillans all gathered in Slough, just to keep the community tight. Slough was regarded as the home of Anguillans.

"I take huge offence when people make fun of 'Sluff', as some have called it!"

Before travelling to the Games, Anguilla will welcome the Queen's Baton Relay as part of the Caribbean leg next year.

"That's a huge hit," Connor said. "When the baton comes through of course we get as many people as possible on the island involved. 

"The children play a major role, and those who have competed at the Commonwealth Games over the years. 

"Boat racing is our national sport and we always, and this is a bit risky, take the baton out on one of our sailing boats. 

"The baton is sold very well to promote the Games in Anguilla."

As a cricketer, Connor is pleased to see a women's T20 tournament on the Birmingham 2022 schedule.

And he believes the Games next year are in safe hands.

"When you watch some of the women play now, their throwing arms are brilliant, all of them," he said.

"The batting style, the way they hit the ball, it's amazing how physical it is. If you look at the game, it's a good game of cricket.

"The Games, I think, have got better and better. 

"For the athletes, the key is comfortable sleeping conditions, good food and easy access to venues. 

"And I do believe that Birmingham will do a good job, simply because it is more than Birmingham, it is the home Federation as well."

Antigua and Barbuda - May 2022

Antigua and Barbuda has never won a medal at the Commonwealth Games, so if they were to break their duck at Birmingham 2022 it would be a momentous occasion.

The twin-island nation is due to send 10 athletes to the English city, in athletics, boxing, cycling and swimming.

Like most countries in the Caribbean, the biggest hopes perhaps come in sprinting.

"That would be big-time," said Joel Rayne, Antigua and Barbuda's Chef de Mission for Birmingham 2022, when asked about the possibility of reaching the podium.

"In track and field we have never had anybody medal at that level - the Commonwealth Games, World Championships or Olympics.

"We have had medals at the Pan American Games and junior Games, but at the senior level, at those major meets, we are yet to medal. 

"So it would be a big, big thing here in Antigua and Barbuda.

"As you know we are very much a sporting culture, predominantly cricket and football, but track is on the rise. 

"It [a medal] would be good for the young athletes coming up. Someone for them to emulate and try to model themselves on."

Double Olympian Cejhae Greene, who trains in Florida, will be looking to impress for Antigua and Barbuda in the 100 metres.

The 26-year-old ran a wind assisted 10.01sec in Miami in April and boasted the world leading time at one stage last year, heading into the rearranged Tokyo 2020 Olympics where he was disappointed to exit in the heats.

"He made it as far as the semi-finals at the Rio 2016 Olympics," said Rayne, the assistant secretary general of the Antigua and Barbuda Olympic Association.

"However, in Tokyo, given the COVID situation, his training was affected and he was dealing with some niggling injuries. 

"He didn't perform the way he thought he should.

"He's on the mend now so we're expecting great things from him.

"He won a bronze at the last Pan American Games, so we're just hoping that will carry on." 

Antigua and Barbuda first competed at the Commonwealth Games in 1966, and also featured in 1970 and 1978.

After this, however, the country was absent until 1994, from when it has been ever-present.

"The Commonwealth Games is treated similarly to how the Olympic Games is treated," said Rayne.

"We've competed in about 10 Commonwealth Games to date, unfortunately for us we are yet to stand on the podium.

"So we're just hoping that an attempt comes this summer in Birmingham and we get some luck coming our way."

Other athletes to watch in the Antigua and Barbuda team include boxer Alston Ryan, who qualified for the men's lightweight competition at Tokyo 2020 outright after coming through the Americas qualifier.

Ryan, who like Greene won a bronze medal at the Lima 2019 Pan American Games, lost his opening bout in Tokyo to Armenia's eventual bronze medallist Hovhannes Bachkov. 

"Unfortunately for him as well, COVID dealt him a rough deal in terms of preparation for the Olympics," said Rayne. 

"Because he was unable to get the kind of sparring that he needed. 

"He didn't get a lot of practice. But he's made the qualifying standard in terms of his ranking in the Americas."

Rayne was also Antigua and Barbuda's Chef de Mission at Tokyo 2020, but Birmingham 2022 will be the first time he takes on the role at the Commonwealth Games.

"It was a unique experience for all of us," he said of the Games in Japan, which took place largely behind closed doors and with numerous COVID rules.

"We're accustomed to fans in the stadium, we're expecting the interaction between the different federations, associations and athletes. 

"We couldn't really do much of that. 

"But overall I think it was a well executed Games put on by the Japanese Government and the Organising Committee. 

"We went in with not much expectation, just to make sure athletes and officials are kept healthy, and they achieved that so in all there were not many complaints. 

"We knew exactly what we were going into and it was a different phenomenon, no-one has ever experienced that."

Rayne added that the COVID-19 pandemic had not significantly impacted Commonwealth Games preparations, as restrictions at home were lifted in time. Some athletes, like Greene, are based abroad.

Ryan trains in the UK, alongside a female boxer who Antigua and Barbuda hope will be the first woman to enter the ring for them on the international stage.

The lack of coronavirus rules also meant that two days of celebrations during the Queen's Baton Relay visit could be held in full.

Included on the itinerary was the Frigate Bird Sanctuary, which is home to approximately 100,000 birds.

Sprinter Dwayne Fleming and swimmer Ethan Greene were among those to hold the baton.

"We had a grand celebration," said Rayne, who also works as a sports anchor for a television network. "We are twin islands, so it went to our sister island. 

"Then it travelled the streets in Antigua. 

"Unlike some other territories and countries where because of COVID they were unable to do much, the good thing for us is we had no restrictions so we were able to go all out." 

Last year, Antigua and Barbuda installed a new athletics track at its Yasco Sports Complex.

"There's some work to do in terms of infrastructure, but given our limited financial resources you can understand how it goes in these smaller territories," said Rayne.

Cricket is the number one sport and Antigua and Barbuda, which has a population of under 100,000, has punched above its weight when it comes to producing the best players in the world.

Legendary West Indies batsman and skipper Viv Richards is the most well-known export, with a stadium built for the 2007 World Cup bearing his name.

"We also had Andy Roberts who was before him, and followed by Curtly Ambrose and Richie Richardson," Rayne, who has attended every Summer Olympics since London 2012, said.

"We have a number of others, the list goes on and on.

"But in terms of prominence of course, there's none other than Sir Vivian Richards." 

Sir Vivian attended the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games as Antigua and Barbuda's ambassador, returning to India where he famously made an unbeaten 192 runs in 1974 in what was only his second Test match.

Women's T20 cricket will debut at Birmingham 2022 with Barbados representing the West Indies, but Rayne is hopeful Antigua and Barbuda will be able to challenge for the spot in future.

"The female game is in an embryotic state in Antigua," he said.

"We're not at the level of Barbados, Trinidad or Jamaica yet. 

"But hopefully with the long-term planning they have in place, maybe the next two Commonwealth Games from now we might be able to be the team representing the West Indies." 

West Indies often dominated global cricket in the 1970s and 1980s, but mixed fortunes since then mean the sport does not hoover up young sportsmen and women in the Caribbean as it might once have done.

"The pool for cricketers is not as deep as before," said Rayne. 

"A lot of athletes are going for other sports like track and field, swimming, basketball and volleyball. 

"It's very diverse now, it's not just cricket alone, and also football.

"In terms of youngsters, cricket is not as big as it used to be, simply because of the inconsistent performance of the West Indies."

Backing onto Antigua's airport is the Coolidge Cricket Ground, built by disgraced American businessman Allen Stanford who pumped millions into the sport before being convicted of massive fraud in the United States and sentenced to 110 years in jail.

A much happier memory in Antiguan sport is the gold medal won by 200m runner Brendan Christian in Rio de Janeiro in 2017, which to date is the country's only success at the Pan American Games.

Rayne said he was pleased with how preparations for Birmingham are going after visiting the city in March.

"I'm very impressed with what's going on, comparatively speaking, with other Games I've attended," he said.

"They just laid down the new track, I hope it's going to be a fast one. 

"The aquatics centre where swimming will take place is also a magnificent legacy pool which I was impressed with.

"I'm looking forward to the experience come the summer in Birmingham."

Coping with cooler and seemingly random weather conditions in England will be a challenge for all those coming from hot countries.

"Sometimes it's nice and hot and then it gets cold and windy and wet," said Rayne.

"It's something we'll have to deal with, coming from the tropics.

"We'll be ready, we'll be prepared. 

"We know what we need to do. I was there in London for the 2012 Olympics, so we're envisioning similar conditions. 

"We are very much aware and on top of things in terms of that."

Bahamas - March 2022

There won't be many Chef de Missions at Birmingham 2022 who have more experience than Roy Colebrook.

Having taken the role for The Bahamas at a huge number of events, he knows exactly what the job will entail at this year's Commonwealth Games.

Colebrook's CV includes the Summer Olympic Games in London in 2012 and Rio in 2016, and the Commonwealth Games in Delhi in 2010, Glasgow in 2014 and Gold Coast in 2018.

As well as senior events, he has also led Bahamas teams at junior competitions such as the Commonwealth Youth Games.

"I have been a Chef de Mission for a number of years," Colebrook told insidethegames. 

"I have done a number of Commonwealth Games, I have done a number of Olympics... 

"I've been around! 

"Everyone is elated for these Games [Birmingham 2022] as it comes at a time just after the pandemic. 

"This is one of the major Games we have.

"I think it's very important for us to come to these Games and to show as athletes what we've got...

"The athletes are all excited, I can tell you! We anticipate having a very successful Games."

Bahamas has won 38 medals in its Commonwealth Games history - including 10 golds.

The vast majority of their podium places have come in athletics, which has brought the island nation plenty of success.

This year, the World Athletics Championships in Oregon will end just four days before the Birmingham 2022 Opening Ceremony on July 28, causing a scheduling challenge for athletes hoping to compete at both.

"We always want to take our best, but sometimes there are some scheduling conflicts," said Colebrook, a vice-president of the Bahamas Olympic Association.

"The scheduling is always a fickle matter.

"But you can rest assured that only our best available athletes will be coming to Birmingham."

Bahamas is still finalising its team size for Birmingham 2022, but it could be close to the 32 athletes who competed in Gold Coast.

On the track, the country's leading star is Shaunae Miller-Uibo, the back-to-back Olympic 400 metres gold medallist who defended her title at Tokyo 2020 last year.

Miller-Uibo, who famously won her first Olympic gold at Rio 2016 after a diving finish which saw her beat American Allyson Felix, won the world indoor 400m title in Belgrade this month.

She won Commonwealth Games gold in the 200m at Gold Coast 2018.

Bahamas also won the men's 400m title in Tokyo as Steven Gardiner's gold proved that the country is the undisputed champion of one lap races.

Gardiner added to the world title he won over the distance in Doha in 2019.

Despite this track success, athletics has to compete with sailing for the title of national sport.

"We have sloop sailing in our country," said Colebrook.

"While track and field is very popular, you can imagine what the sloop sailing does...

"We have regattas on the different islands with hundreds and hundreds of people.

"Because we're an archipelago, it brings the economic benefit for that region and all of the islands where we have the sloop sailing." 

As well as athletics, Bahamian athletes are set to compete in swimming, cycling and table tennis in Birmingham.

Colebrook said excitement is building, particularly due to the imminent arrival of the Queen's Baton Relay and a Royal Family visit from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

"People get excited for the Commonwealth Games," he said.

"The jubilee, the Relay, and the visit, it all hypes things up for the Commonwealth Games.

"I would imagine I'll have all sorts of interviews to attend."

In 2017, the Commonwealth Youth Games were held in the Bahamas.

The country became only the second in the Caribbean region to host the athletes of the Commonwealth, after Jamaica staged the full Games in 1966.

"That was huge," Colebrook said.

"The only [Caribbean] country other than us who did it was Jamaica, and that was in the 1960s.

"That was huge for the Caribbean itself, to celebrate.

"And the athletes loved it." 

Like most countries, Bahamas is beginning to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic.

"All sports were affected, especially when we had the total lockdown," Colebrook said.

"But, fortunately, we are a sunny country, and we have a small population. 

"Our people go strictly with the COVID-19 protocols. 

"So while we may not have had the athletes in competition, our athletes trained and everything else. 

"We had more time trial events and stuff like that."

As an island nation, climate change and rising sea levels are other issues which are never far away.

"We just had Hurricane Dorian [in 2019] and it devastated the northern islands of our country, particularly Grand Bahama and Abaco," said Colebrook.

"We had sporting facilities that were damaged.

"Even just talking about it makes us feel sad and depressed, because climate change, we don't contribute to it.

"But we're the ones who are impacted by it the most." 

Colebrook said he believes Birmingham 2022 will be a successful event.

"Being an experienced Chef de Mission, and from the Games I have been at, I believe Birmingham will be a success for how they are dealing with it through the COVID-19 environment," he said.

"Even though their hands were somewhat tied, I think they are doing an excellent job, definitely on the communication.

"They are bringing places together with a clear understanding of how the Games should be run.

"That's my belief."

Athletes once again competing in front of full crowds, after spectators were banned at Tokyo 2020, is something Colebrook believes will be key.

"That's huge," he said.

"For athletes, the fans make the Games. 

"I believe they give athletes that extra push. 

"Just by the roar and cheers of the crowd." 

Barbados - October 2021

The Barbados Chef de Mission for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games has said representing the West Indies in the women's cricket tournament would be a "tremendous honour". 

Caribbean countries compete together as the West Indies on the international stage, but are only eligible to play separately in Birmingham.

In August, Cricket West Indies (CWI) said Barbados had been selected to represent the region after the 2021 CWI T20 Blaze competition, a qualifier for Birmingham 2022, was postponed due to COVID-19.

Barbados were picked after winning the 2020 event but Chef de Mission Cameron Burke said they were still awaiting official confirmation from the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF).

Cricket featured at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur but women, and the T20 format, will both debut in Birmingham where a men's event will not be held.

"That [representing the West Indies] is a tremendous honour," Burke, who has been Barbados Chef de Mission at every Commonwealth Games since 2006 and at five Olympics, told insidethegames.

"I remember in Malaysia they did have cricket and Barbados was there. 

"T20 cricket has really taken off and to be part of the initial introduction, with the cricket history of Barbados and the legacy we have, certainly we are excited to have our ladies represented.

"One of the good things about it, about seven or eight of the players have represented the West Indies team. 

"So that speaks volumes for the standard of our cricket here in Barbados.

"I know we'd be up against Australia, England...but we'd still be very, very optimistic that they can hold their own and do well at the Games." 

Burke, a vice-president of the Barbados Olympic Association and retired meteorologist, who has an extensive hockey background, said the country is also hopeful of qualifying its netball team for Birmingham.

Barbados needs to place itself in the top 12 of the International Netball Federation world rankings and, in October 2021, sits 13th.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic has hindered the opportunity to practice and play matches.

"My netball team right now is ranked 13th in the world," Burke said.

"Clearly we want to get that down under 12 so we can be included in the competition. 

"But they are not allowed to train, so how do we prepare the netball team to overcome that challenge?"

Barbados, who have been ever-present in netball at the Commonwealth Games, have been speaking to Scotland about playing a Test series there by the end of 2021, and could also train in Northern Ireland and Wales.

"The reason we are concentrating on netball is that it's the only standalone female team sport," said Burke.

"As it stands it's only in the Commonwealth Games, so it's important for us to have them there." 

In September, the country estimated potentially taking more than 100 people to Birmingham 2022 but Burke believes this number will fall.

"Historically we would take about 70 people to the Commonwealth Games," he said. 

"I expect we will be in that ball park but right now our team calculator is suggesting over 100. 

"Some sports still have to qualify, so some of those numbers would be expected to fall off."

Barbados will hope to be strong in athletics, while the island was buoyed by its squash performance at Gold Coast 2018 and would also like to qualify for Birmingham in rugby sevens.

The 2021 Junior Pan American Games in Cali in Colombia are seen as a chance for Birmingham 2022 team members to hone their skills, while Barbados is due to host the regional Commonwealth Games qualifier in weightlifting.

Twelve Commonwealth Games medals have been won by Barbados, including two golds, although the country drew a blank in Gold Coast.

"We are being a lot more strategic in ensuring that our teams are prepared," said Burke.

"We have had medal success at the Commonwealth Games and we'd like that to continue, and we are working strategically towards improving our medal count at the Games. 

"It won't happen overnight, it's like building a house. 

"You start with the foundations and you come up, then you get to the roof and then you paint it. 

"We are receiving a lot more funding from the local lottery."

Barbados will sever ties with Queen Elizabeth II and become a republic in November, but the shift to a President as head of state will have no impact on sport and the country will remain within the Commonwealth of Nations.

Burke said he had been left impressed by the work of Birmingham 2022 organsiers.

"Having heard that there would be no central Village, you ask yourself 'how is that going to work?,'" he said.

"Seeing exactly what they are doing and how they are going about doing it, lots of people are going to be very surprised at what Birmingham 2022 have achieved to make the Commonwealth Games a success. 

"And I think it will be a success, the facilities are fantastic and it certainly augurs well for good Games.

"In Birmingham it's 'we want the Games, we are looking forward to the Games'. 

"You can see the excitement is there."

Belize - March 2022

The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games may be scheduled for the English summer, but that doesn't mean the athletes will be competing in hot weather.

For Belize, an important aspect of preparations will be coping with temperatures that will be much colder than they are used to.

"Everyone will have at least a week to acclimatise," said the country's Chef de Mission, Giovanni Alamilla, to insidethegames.

"When people say it's summer in the UK, it's our 'winter', but in Belize we don't have winters. 

"The coldest it'll get here in Belize is 65 or 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Over there the warmest it might be is that!

"We do need that time to acclimatise. We'll get into the Village the day they allow us to, that will give the team time to recover from their flight and do some training as well."

Belize's maximum team size in Birmingham will be 15 athletes, with six cyclists and four in track and field confirmed so far.

The country will also send a triathlete and is hoping to be awarded other places.

One athlete to watch could be 100 metres sprinter Shaun Gill, who came close to qualifying outright for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

He eventually competed with backing from Olympic Solidarity, running 10.88sec in his heat.

"If he does go to the Commonwealth Games, he would be one that we'd hope would get to the semis at least," Alamilla said.

The Queen's Baton Relay is this month due to reach Belize - a country which is something of an anomaly as the only English-speaking nation in Central America.

Alamilla, a vice-president of the Belize Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association who previously held the roles of treasurer and assistant secretary general, is in charge of the Relay's festivities.

Plans include trips to Mayan temples - something not found anywhere else in the Commonwealth - and the Great Blue Hole, a huge circular sinkhole which is popular with scuba divers.

"I try not to have events centralised only in Belize City, we have taken the baton to various villages and towns in previous editions," said Alamilla. "We will do that again.

"Leading up to the baton's arrival and also the Games, we will be visiting all the local media houses to raise awareness.

"We'll get a lot of the kids involved and some cultural experiences and demonstrations as well."

The COVID-19 pandemic had a big impact on sport in Belize, with the country only ending its compulsory curfews on March 1 this year.

"We've had a curfew in place since March 2020," Alamilla said.

"We didn't have any contact sports for about a year and a half. 

"In the middle of last year, they started allowing some sports but no contact sports. 

"Even cyclists were only allowed to ride single file on the road. 

"There were a lot of restrictions."

Belize, which boasts a stunning coastline and the second largest barrier reef in the world, uniquely competes in both the Central American Games and the Caribbean Games.

There is also the event which combines the two - the Central American and Caribbean Games - and the continental Pan American Games.

Qualifying athletes is the main challenge with Belize normally having to rely on tripartite or solidarity spots.

"One of the major hurdles with development is you always need access to competition, and you also need the facilities to be able to train," said Alamilla. 

"In every developing country that's always the first thing they'll say, 'we need facilities'. 

"But you do with what you have.

"To qualify for these major Games you need to be able to compete, and we just don't have the financing to send an athlete every three weeks or so to go and compete.

"The Belize Olympic Committee and Commonwealth Games Association receives no funding from the Government. All of our funding comes from the International Olympic Committee, Panam Sports or the Commonwealth Games Federation.

"There is some Government funding that goes directly to some selected National Federations."

At the London 2012 Olympics, Kenneth Medwood of Belize reached the semi-finals of the 400 metres hurdles, where he finished fifth.

This remains as one of the country's best performances at the very top level, but the 34-year-old has now retired after suffering from injury.

Belize is home to the Marion Jones Sports Complex in Belize City, which lies two feet below sea level.

Jones, the American sprinter who was famously stripped of the three Olympic gold medals she won at Sydney 2000 for steroid use, is a citizen of Belize and her mother was from the country.

She celebrated with both the United States and Belize flags in Sydney, but has lost every major honour she won apart from three World Championship golds.

"We do have some facilities available, but it's mainly indoor for basketball and volleyball, those being the larger team sports," said Alamilla. 

"The Football Federation of Belize through FIFA have their own funding available to them. 

"We do have a national stadium that has a synthetic track, but that's the only thing that's there, it's not complete."

All of Belize's swimming pools are in hotels, resorts or privately owned, something Alamilla needs to manage as President of the Belize Triathlon Association.

Training in the sea is not ideal, but at least that takes the triathletes to a truly beautiful stretch of the Caribbean.

"It's one of the best diving spots in the world," said Alamilla.

"We have a large amount of atolls and reserves. 

"Our sea life is very much alive and I would hope it continues to be fully protected for years to come." 

Bermuda - November 2021

For most people, October 18 this year would have been just another Monday.

There was nothing particularly special about it, unless you happened to live in Bermuda.

In September, the island's Government declared that October 18 would be a public holiday known as Flora Duffy Day, in honour of Bermuda's history-making triathlete.

Duffy, racing in the searing Japanese heat, became the first Bermudian to win Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020. To say her compatriots were thrilled with her achievement would be something of an understatement.

"We had a big concert in the park, they created stamps with her photo on it," said Donna Raynor, Bermuda's Chef de Mission for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

"One of our companies that produces rum created a special drink for her. 

"We named a street after her and part of the National Sports Centre.

"I'm sure the majority of Bermudians watched that race." 

Duffy's victory broke a record for Bermuda as it is now the territory with the smallest population to have won Olympic gold.

Around 64,000 people call the island home, and if they head down to South Field Stadium they will find that it now bears Duffy's name. 

A trip to Corkscrew Hill, which has been part of World Triathlon Series races in Bermuda, is no longer possible as the name has been scrubbed from the map.

It's now known as - you guessed it - Flora Duffy Hill.

Duffy won the Commonwealth Games title at Gold Coast 2018 and has made Birmingham a target, quashing speculation that she might now retire.

The 34-year-old will undoubtedly be the star attraction for Bermuda, the team which notably marches in the island's famous shorts at Opening and Closing Ceremonies.

"She had said she was going to retire after the Olympics," said Raynor to insidethegames. "I think she has rethought that, she's even talking about going as far as Paris 2024. 

"She'll more than likely be at the Commonwealth Games."

The next generation of Bermudian triathletes are now starting to emerge thanks to Duffy's inspiration.

"They had an event where they had 97 children, they had a mini-triathlon and she was there to greet the children," said Raynor.

"We do have quite a few children who participate in triathlon and I'm sure that number will increase."

Raynor, who recently stepped down as Bermuda National Athletics Association President after 12 years, knows all about competing for the territory after racing internationally in the 800 and 1500 metres.

She was denied the chance to feature at the Commonwealth Games, however, as Bermuda boycotted Edinburgh 1986 alongside a string of other countries due to the British Government's policy towards apartheid-era South Africa.

It was an extremely late withdrawal as Bermuda got as far as marching at the Opening Ceremony before eventually pulling out.

"The unfortunate thing is the year I would have gone to the Commonwealth Games, we didn't go to the Games," said Raynor. "That was the year I was supposed to go.

"Sport has been my life.

"Just standing on the podium with your Bermuda colours on is something that you will never, ever forget. 

"I was in university on a track scholarship for four years, and I have represented Bermuda from when I was young until when I stopped running. 

"So it's been fantastic. Then I got involved in the administration side, and with the Bermuda Olympic Association. Sport is a big part of my life." 

Raynor has served as Chef de Mission at the Central American and Caribbean Games, as well as team manager at the London 2012 Summer Olympics.

Bermuda currently has 10 places confirmed for Birmingham 2022, and hopes to compete in athletics, cycling, swimming and squash, as well as triathlon.

It is hoped that the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) will provide the team with extra slots, however.

"We have way more than 10 athletes who have reached our qualifying standard," said Raynor.

"It's difficult for us as we've got to go through and figure out who we send and who we don't send.

"We have athletes who have really put in the effort and we're not sure if we'll be able to take them to the Games.

"But I understand that these Games are getting bigger and bigger, and the cost is getting bigger and bigger, so you have to do something to cut back. 

"I understand but I feel for the athletes. They have put the effort in for years, looking forward to the Games, and we've got to tell them 'I'm sorry but you can't go because we've only been allocated a certain amount of spots.'"

Bermuda did crown a Commonwealth Games champion before Duffy, with Clarence "Nicky" Saunders winning the high jump title in Auckland in 1990.

COVID-19 has affected preparations this time, and there was huge disappointment when the island's planned hosting of the World Triathlon Sprint and Relay Championships in October was cancelled.

This denied Duffy the chance to race on home soil, and the CARIFTA Games, a major regional athletics event, was also called off.

The successful staging of golf's Butterfield Bermuda Championship in October, a leg of the PGA Tour, was seen as a sign of things beginning to return to normal.

"It had a big impact," said Raynor. "Sport has been up and down and we were only allowed a certain amount of athletes to be together at the same time. 

"All of the sporting bodies have had to get quite creative with how to carry on. It's definitely been rough on sports."

Some of Bermuda's athletes are based at home, with others overseas or at university as Birmingham 2022 approaches.

"We receive information from the CGF probably every single day," said Raynor. "We had a meeting and I thought it was very well organised. All of the information being sent out to us, they are putting a lot of effort into it. 

"I think they are doing an excellent job so far. I'm looking forward to the meeting in January. We'll get to see everything, the living facilities and the competition facilities. That should be good."

Before the Games, Raynor will have a lot to do across her various sporting roles.

"I do have a full time job as well," she said. "I fit it in. My job is project management, so I've learnt to juggle several roles. 

"I just keep on doing it."

British Virgin Islands - November 2021

The Commonwealth Games often conjures up inspirational sporting stories - take Kyron McMaster of the British Virgin Islands.

At Gold Coast 2018, the 400 metres hurdler won the first medal in the territory's history - a gold - in exceptionally poignant circumstances.

A little over seven months before he raced to glory in 48.25sec, the runner's coach was tragically killed during Hurricane Irma.

Xavier "Dag" Samuels was an instrumental part of McMaster's success but was not there to see his student's greatest moment after falling off a roof during what was then the most powerful Atlantic hurricane on record.

Four people died in the British Virgin Islands in all, and the fact McMaster was able to rebound so spectacularly just weeks after the cruellest of blows was little short of remarkable.

"I said every day immediately after that 'I don't want to continue track because I really have very little motivation left,'" McMaster, who was fourth at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, said after his victory.

"I might not cry out here, but when I go back to the hotel, me and my team-mate are going to sit down on the porch and just cry."

Mark Chapman, the British Virgin Islands Chef de Mission for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, described McMaster's victory as "really big".

"There were big celebrations during the Games and there was a welcome home for the athletes and Kyron," he told insidethegames.

"His coach died in September 2017 so it was a big transition for him the following year.

"He got a new coach and moved to America to train. It was big, we were happy.

"That was like the best field ever in the 400m hurdles. We'd like to repeat." 

British Virgin Islands sent 10 athletes to Gold Coast and all of them faced a race against time after Irma's devastating impact.

"The track was all ripped up, it was horrendous," said Chapman. "Our mini-van was totalled, our houses - the roofs came off. 

"It was maybe two weeks before the Chef de Mission meeting in Gold Coast. But we made it there, and six months later we made it to the Games.

"It took two years to get facilities back together, but we get support from Olympic Solidarity and Panam Sports.

"Panam Sports paid for the track to be re-laid. The facilities are now better than they were before."

Between 12 and 14 athletes are currently tipped to represent British Virgin Islands at Birmingham 2022, which would be their biggest party ever.

The majority will be in athletics, with others competing in squash and swimming.

As well as McMaster's title defence, focus will be placed on long jumper Chantel Malone, the gold medallist at the Lima 2019 Pan American Games.

When McMaster received his gold in 2018, the British national anthem God Save The Queen was played, but that will not be the case if he repeats next year.

A new song - called Oh, Beautiful Virgin Islands - has been recorded to provide some local identity and will be played at the team's Birmingham welcome ceremony.

"It was in the making probably for 10 years," said Chapman. "Other overseas territories had moved away and got their own national song to replace God Save The Queen for a while. 

"But as you can imagine it's not a straightforward thing to do. 

"You have to get the recordings done, then it has to comply with the Olympics and the Commonwealth Games Federation and all their requirements. And then the Government has to approve it.

"It's nice when you sing it, the version which will play if we win a gold medal is an instrumental.

"Tokyo would have been the first Olympic Games where we would have played it but there wasn't a team welcome ceremony."

Chapman was the Commonwealth Games Chef de Mission at Gold Coast 2018 and Glasgow 2014.

He also took the role at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics when British Virgin Islands - not a place known for its snow and ice - sent halfpipe skier Peter Crook.

Other jobs include treasurer of the British Virgin Islands Olympic Committee and President of the territory's squash association.

In squash, Mark's son Joe is a former top 100 player who is in line to feature at his fifth Commonwealth Games.

Hurricane Irma left its mark on the sport - flattening two courts on the main island of Tortola - but two new ones are now being built and are hoped to be ready by the end of January.

"Because of the hurricane threat it's got to be solid," Chapman said. "We're going to have this doubles court with a movable wall where you can play doubles and two lots of singles. 

"That's a great development for the country and squash here. We've already got a doubles court in Virgin Gorda so we'll probably be the only country in the Caribbean with two doubles courts. 

"Doubles is a significant part of squash at the Commonwealth Games, it's entertaining." 

Before Birmingham 2022, British Virgin Islands is due to take nine athletes to the inaugural Junior Pan American Games in Cali in Colombia this month.

The main sponsor for sport in the islands is Puma, and COVID-19 has not had the major impact it has had elsewhere.

"We've had about 2,000 cases in total, but apart from about 100 they all came in one month," said Chapman. "They came and then they just went. 

"Sadly, we had a number of deaths. For the longest time we had just the one death, but during that month which was just after we'd opened our borders, we had about 30 deaths. 

"When we were locked down it was a worse lockdown than it was in the UK, but it was short, sharp ones. 

"We had tennis, squash and athletics all pretty much happening normally. The gym closed twice during the pandemic, once for two weeks and once for a month, and that was it. 

"Everyone's been able to carry on training. The elite athletes are in Atlanta and Greensborough, they all have professional coaches and our job is to keep them economically sound. 

"They've got to have no trouble with their coach fees, their living expenses and their recuperation and travel to competitions. There's been very little impact to be honest." 

Chapman said the public in British Virgin Islands would get behind Birmingham 2022, with a Beach Games event planned for when the Baton Relay visits in May.

"Everyone knows it's going on," he said. "They love Kyron, Chantel Malone... 

"We've got at least three who went to Glasgow and Gold Coast who are likely going to Birmingham. 

"There's a big buzz about it. There is a following."

Birmingham 2022 is splitting its Athletes' Village up across three sites as a cost-cutting measure, but Chapman is on board with the idea and believes the Games will be a success.

"It's impressive what they've done considering they decided not to build the Village," he said. 

"Utilising the three facilities is a great idea and I think it'll work out really well. 

"We'll be in the university where I'm imagining most of the small countries will be. 

"The Commonwealth Games, it isn't all about medals - it's about going and the camaraderie. 

"The team has such a great experience and it's just 10 days of bliss. It changes their lives, a lot of them." 

Cayman Islands - October 2021

The Commonwealth Games can provide smaller nations with their greatest sporting moments - just ask the Cayman Islands.

At Delhi 2010, Cydonie Mothersille powered to the women's 200 metres title in a time of 22.89sec to write herself into the history books.

This was the first Cayman gold medal, and nobody else from the British Carribbean territory has topped the podium since.

Australia won 74 gold medals in Delhi but when you win just one, it inevitably becomes more special.

Mothersille was greeted by a huge crowd when she returned home to Owen Roberts International Airport, and gifts from adoring sponsors included a new Chevrolet SUV - fittingly coloured gold.

Now, the 2001 World Championship bronze medallist is involved encouraging the next generation.

"She's still active, she's part of the athletics association executive," said Janet Sairsingh, the Cayman Islands Chef de Mission for Birmingham 2022.

"She's very much part of motivating and getting the athletes going, and being part of the administration." 

For smaller teams, Commonwealth Games success does not always have to be winning medals.

At Glasgow 2014, the squash mixed doubles pairing of Cameron Stafford and Marlene West won the opening game against Australia's eventual champions David Palmer and Rachael Grinham, before eventually losing in three.

Then, at Gold Coast 2018, the Cayman duo broke new ground by coming through the group stage and reaching the knock-out round.

"That was good for us," said Sairsingh, the President of the Cayman Islands Squash Association. 

"We're stepping up there."

Sairsingh was also Chef de Mission for the Cayman Islands at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, but with the Games in Japan now been and gone attention can turn to Birmingham.

As well as athletics and squash, Cayman athletes are set to attend in gymnastics, swimming and boxing.

"We have been allocated 21 spots - that would be our team size," said Sairsingh. 

"They may give out one or two additional spots, but for now it's 21. 

"Preparations have begun here, we've had to send in our long list of all of our athletes for the sports that will be represented.

"Therefore all the various sports are in training, and we are just waiting on the final selection of who will make the team."

Cayman Islands have claimed one other medal in their Commonwealth Games history - a bronze for long jumper Kareem Streete-Thompson at Manchester 2002.

Long-distance runner Nick Akers also made headlines after racing in Cayman colours as Nick Vladivar - part of a sponsorship deal with a vodka brand which saw cash funnelled to local sports bodies. In Gold Coast, Kemar Hyman reached the final of the men's 100m.

All of this has helped to generate interest in the Commonwealth Games in the Cayman Islands.

"A number of people have indicated here that they will be going to Birmingham to watch the Games," said Sairsingh.

"It's a direct flight to London Heathrow from here, so everyone is like 'you know what, this will be the first big trip after being locked down for such a long time'. 

"So we're excited to get out of Cayman and go somewhere. 

"We're starting now to put information out there. 

"There's a Facebook/social media person who is getting posts out, just to get Cayman excited about the upcoming Games and supporting our athletes. 

"We'll be doing quite a bit in the upcoming months to help promote the Games and get everyone excited here."

Cayman sport is now beginning to pick up again after the COVID-19 pandemic.

"It had an impact for quite a while as we were in lockdown, and all the sporting facilities were in lockdown," said Sairsingh. 

"It did affect the athletes to some extent, it was a challenge. 

"Everyone had to find alternative means of exercising, whether it be on the road, when we were allowed to go jogging and walking, and when the stadium was closed.

"Once we re-opened, the locals could travel. Some of our athletes who were in university went back and were able to train overseas.

"There were a number of overseas events which started to come back, so they entered those. 

"We were scattered all over as a team because you would go where you could find facilities to train."

Sairsingh has been to every Commonwealth Games since 2010, and has also served as general team manager.

She is a member of the World Squash Federation's Governance and Audit Commission and juggles her various sporting roles with a job in insurance.

To say that all of this keeps her busy is an understatement.

"We're also preparing for the Junior Pan American Games so I had emails going out at 2am this morning," she said.

"I call it my second job." 

Woody Lawrence will not be unprepared when he takes on the role of Chef de Mission for Dominica at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

The former competitive swimmer has held the position at five major Games and likes to know everything is in place well in advance.

"I tend to be one of the earliest Chef de Missions in the Village," he said to insidethegames.

"I like to arrive early and I believe I was the first Chef de Mission at Gold Coast 2018.

"It's important to be there early to start things - getting to know who my circles will be and trying to make my contacts.

"I think that's pretty important. I'm planning to be in Birmingham early to get myself set up." 

As well as the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, Lawrence was also Chef de Mission for Dominica at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

He also had the role for the Pan American Games in Guadalajara in 2011 and Toronto in 2015, and the 2018 Central American and Caribbean Games in Barranquilla.

"This is my sixth major Games," Lawrence, who has spent much of his life in Canada, said. "Back home they call me the President of Chefs, I am the most experienced!

"I genuinely enjoy what I do. 

"Having that athletic background helps me as well. With the athletes, I know exactly what they want. 

"I'm sort of above and beyond because I really want to make the athletes comfortable." 

Lawrence also knows about being early in his sporting career, as he has the distinction of being Dominica's first-ever Olympic athlete.

The Caribbean island gained independence from Britain in 1978, but had to wait until Atlanta 1996 to make its Olympic debut.

Six athletes competed, with five in track and field and Lawrence the only swimmer.

"Swimming being the first set of events, I was the first to compete," said Lawrence, who raced in the 50 metres freestyle.

"The Olympics were never part of the 'Woody plan'. After I had stopped competing in Canada, and when I made a decision to come back to Dominica, swimming was sort of on the back-burner. 

"I never thought I'd get back into it and it just kinda happened." 

Lawrence left Dominica for Barbados at the age of nine, and later swam for his high school and university in Canada.

After returning to his home island he began to coach local swimmers, and he embarked on two major long distance swims including one in 1994 from Saint Lucia to Martinique.

"We wanted to promote swimming and that was one of the ways we used to promote the sport back home," said Lawrence, who also gained public attention swimming along the west coast of Dominica in 1995.

"We don't have any facilities but we do have the ocean, so we tried to focus a little bit on the open water side.

"The water conditions that day were actually really bad.

"The French [in Martinique] thought we were crazy. 

"In the French local creole, they said we were 'sacré fou' - fou is crazy in French. They were like 'you guys have completely lost it'.

"I came fourth out of 12 in 13 hours and seven minutes. The conditions were really bad, there were eight to 10 foot swells.

"The French authorities were on the look out for sharks." 

Lawrence never competed at the Commonwealth Games but his son Warren, also a swimmer, is set to race in Birmingham.

If he opts to carry on and reaches Paris 2024, Dominica would have its very first father and son Olympians.

The early preparation in Gold Coast paid dividends as the country won Commonwealth Games medals for the first time since its debut in 1958 - both in triple jump.

Yordanys Durañona came home with silver in the men's event and Thea Lafond bagged bronze in the women's competition.

Durañona has now switched to long jump but Lafond has stuck with her discipline and will be a major medal hope in Birmingham.

At Tokyo 2020, she came through qualifying with the third longest jump of 14.60m, before fading to 12th in the final while searching for the island's first Olympic medal.

Triple jumping has been a strong event for Dominica as their main hope at their first Olympic appearance in Atlanta was Jérôme Romain, who won bronze at the World Championships in Gothenburg a year earlier.

"I really don't know," said Lawrence, when asked why the triple jump has proved so fruitful.

"That is something I really can't answer. 

"I guess it just so happens that triple jump has been our most outstanding event in terms of performance."

Dominica did not compete at any Commonwealth Games between 1974 and 1990 but has been ever-present since then.

The Birmingham team could potentially include 11 athletes in athletics - eight men and three women - as well as two cyclists and Warren Lawrence as the only swimmer.

There is a youthful feel as Warren, 800m Olympian Dennick Luke and road cyclist Kohath Baron are all only 19.

"We have a few young ones we can hope to channel through in the years to come," said Lawrence.

Sprinter Danelson Mahautiere is another Dominica athlete who will be hoping to impress in Birmingham, and another track and field star is making an impact in sports governance as well.

In March 2021, high jumper Brendan Williams was named as chairman of the Commonwealth Games Federation's Athletes' Commission.

He is the first Caribbean person in history to lead the athlete body at a major sports federation. 

"He is definitely one of the good ones who has helped us a lot in terms of establishing fairly high standards," said Lawrence.

"It's an honour for us." 

Lawrence is the longest-serving Board member at the Dominica Olympic Committee - which has former international cricket umpire Billy Doctrove as its President - having joined in 2009.

It is hoped that sporting facilities on the island can be improved alongside increased sponsorship and marketing.

"We have managed to purchase our own building, so we now have our own headquarters which we're very proud of," Lawrence said.

"There is definitely potential to get into more promotion of the brand of the organisation, especially during Games-time.

"We could get into merchandising and promote the athletes.

"One of the things I enjoy doing is pins, I'm a big pin guy. I have a lot of pins, I'm also known as the guy who has all the pins!

"To me, the pin culture is one of the ways you can mix and mingle and meet people. 

"A lot of people are always interested in your pins, so it's a nice way for the athletes and officials to become more down to earth. It's a wonderful way to meet people."

Lawrence said one of his "missions" was to build a top-level swimming pool in Dominica.

"There are some facilities that have been refurbished, especially the community courts for basketball and volleyball," he said.

"We do have a little indoor facility that has not been officially opened yet, it's still being constructed. 

"The Government is talking about building an indoor facility including a swimming pool. I'm looking at private sector funding and private investment. 

"There is talk about building a track. There is ongoing talks with the Government about trying to acquire the land. That's been ongoing for several years.

"One of the things our President wants to achieve is to get a track built. I'm hoping that can become a reality."

New sporting infrastructure would be particularly welcome after the country was devastated by Hurricane Maria in 2017.

Sixty-five people died in Dominica after winds reached 165mph.

There was extensive damage and the island was temporarily cut off from the outside world.

"Two weeks after the hurricane I had to try and make my way to Australia for the Gold Coast Chef de Mission seminar," said Lawrence.

"Quite a few people saw me in Gold Coast and said 'we did not expect you to be here'.

"Even the Australian immigration officer at the counter said 'oh my god, I've heard so much about what happened in your country. It's good to have you here'.

"Since the hurricane there has been a lot of talk about building stronger and building more resilient."

Lawrence described the hurricane's aftermath as "really, really bad".

"It was complete devastation, it was horrible," he said.

"It was estimated around 10,000 to 15,000 people left after the hurricane.

"Most have come back but some have stayed.

"There's still quite a few homes that haven't been repaired. It was a hell of a night."

Living in the potential path of hurricanes is something many in the Caribbean have had to learn to live with.

"It's a major risk and we just have to learn to adapt," said Lawrence.

"By having the consciousness of planning for disasters, and investing in more resiliency, not just in construction but also people. 

"People also need to understand what it takes to be resilient, it's not just buildings, it is the people and the culture as well."

Lawrence attended the Birmingham 2022 open days in March and believes preparations are coming along well.

"I'm very happy that we have the open days, because for a lot of us, when the Chef de Mission seminar was postponed in January [due to COVID], it was like 'uh oh this is not a good sign,'" he said.

"But the open days were a success and we got a good chance to get a feel of the whole vibe. 

"There is of course some work still to do but I think generally it is coming along well." 

Guyana - April 2022

Guyana can trace its Commonwealth Games history right back to the inaugural edition in Hamilton in 1930.

Then known as British Guiana, the country won a silver and a bronze medal, and the first gold arrived four years later in London thanks to Phil Edwards in the 880 yards.

Fast forward to Gold Coast 2018 and Guyana won the fourth of its Commonwealth Games gold medals, courtesy of Troy Doris in the men's triple jump.

This was the first triumph since Aliann Pompey's 400 metres gold at Manchester 2002, and Doris's success was celebrated enthusiastically. 

"He came home as he doesn't live in Guyana, he lives in the US," said Karen Pilgrim, Guyana's Chef de Mission for Birmingham 2022, to insidethegames.

"So he came home and he was taken all over the country.

"A young artist did a really beautiful painting of him and presented it to him.

"There were ceremonies all over the place. It was phenomenal." 

Doris will unfortunately not be defending his title in Birmingham, after struggling with injury.

The only Commonwealth Games team from South America will be looking to compete in athletics, swimming, badminton, cycling, squash and table tennis, as well as other sports should they qualify.

Pilgrim said table tennis would be an event to watch after Chelsea Edghill became the country's first Olympian in the sport at Tokyo 2020.

"The team as a whole is a good group, so we would look to her individually and table tennis as a whole to do well," she said.

In badminton, Narayan Ramdhani will hope to impress after training in Canada for the past few years.

Keevin Allicock boxed in the featherweight division at Tokyo 2020, with Pilgrim describing him as a "determined young man who wants to do well".

In athletics, sisters Jasmine and Aliyah Abrams competed in Tokyo over 100m and 400m respectively, with the latter reaching the semi-finals. 

Squash player Nicolette Fernandes was one of Guyana's top-ranked players for many years, and is looking good after returning to the sport following a lengthy break.

"We've placed better over the years in the Commonwealth Games than any other [Games]," said Pilgrim, a vice-president of the Guyana Olympic Association.

"We have the gold medal we won at the last Games in the triple jump, and Aliann Pompey has represented us well for many years in track and field."

Pompey lives in the US but remains active in athletics in Guyana.

Eight years after her gold in Manchester, she added 400m silver at the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games.

"She hosted a very high profile annual Aliann Pompey Invitational meet, and she has been instrumental in guiding a lot of the young athletes to getting scholarships in the US," said Pilgrim.

"Most of those have done very well."

Guyana is the only English-speaking country in South America and is often grouped with Central American and Caribbean nations when it comes to sport.

In football, for instance, Guyana is affiliated to the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football and not the South American Football Confederation.

The country is also a member of the Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees, but in some sports they are included as part of South America.

For example, the country is a member of the South American Athletics Confederation and the South American Swimming Confederation.

Being drawn to both regions means Guyana competes in continental events in both the north and south.

This includes being able to send teams to the Central American and Caribbean Games, the Caribbean Games and the South American Games.

As a member of the Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA) they can also compete in CARIFTA events.

"We are in a very nice position being the only English speaking country in South America," said Pilgrim.

"Even though we have no part of our country touching the Caribbean Sea, we are very much considered a part of the Caribbean.

"The Caribbean Community Secretariat is based in Guyana."

Competing in South America can be tricky due to a lack of transport links - even to the countries Guyana shares a continent with.

"It's a double edged sword," said Pilgrim.

"It's good to have both, but for us it's surprisingly expensive to participate in South America because there are no flights.

"Our links head north. 

"To get to South America, invariably we have to go to Miami or Panama and then go south again."

Athletes can also face a packed calendar of events which they are eligible to compete in, with the South American Games in Paraguay and the Caribbean Games in Guadeloupe both joining Birmingham 2022 on this year's schedule.

"This year is going to be a really tough one, especially for athletes who haven't been able to train as much as they'd like due to COVID," Pilgrim said.

"This month, we have CARIFTA swimming on the Easter weekend.

"A week later is the South American Junior Games.

"We tumble from one to the next." 

Pilgrim was Guyana's Chef de Mission at the London 2012 Olympic Games, and the Summer Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing in 2014 and Buenos Aires in 2018.

She also took the role at the South American Youth Games in Lima in 2013 and at the Commonwealth Youth Games in Pune in 2008 and The Bahamas in 2017. 

In 2009 she became a doping control officer and she is a member country representative for Guyana at the Caribbean Regional Anti-Doping Organization, where she sits on the Executive Committee.

After attending high school in Jamaica and competing in the National Championships in athletics, she gained a doctorate in veterinary medicine from Tuskegee Institute in Alabama.

Her route into sports governance began with the Guyana Amateur Swimming Association, who she joined after her son started to swim in 2001.

COVID-19 has impacted the preparation of athletes, like in most countries across the world.

"For the most part the National Federations tried to keep in touch with their athletes virtually, for what in swimming we'd call land training, just to keep fit," Pilgrim said.

"But it was really tough because most places completely shut down for at least a year. And then they only slowly reopened after that.

"For example, last year we were given permission to train only those swimmers who were preparing for the Olympics.

"And they only started training in March of last year.

"A few other swimmers trained alongside them to give them a bit of encouragement, but it was kinda lonely when you have much fewer athletes and the usual training partners are not there."

Cricket is the most popular sport with Providence Stadium in capital Georgetown now a focal venue after being built for the 2007 World Cup hosted by the West Indies. 

The previous Bourda ground opened in 1884 and is one of the oldest grounds in the Caribbean. It is still in use and was the first Test venue in South America.

"We got our first artificial track in 2015," said Pilgrim.

"There's another one being built right now in Linden, where quite a few of our national athletes come from.

"In 2011, they opened the aquatics centre which has a world class 50 metre pool. Subsequently a 25m pool was built at the same location.

"There's a rackets centre for table tennis, squash and lawn tennis."

Guyana has a population of around 750,000 with around a third of this in Georgetown.

The majority of the country is forested with most people living around the coast.

Efforts are currently being made to bring through the next generation of athletes to compete at major events for Guyana.

"In this year's budget there has been quite a lot of money for sport, mostly at grassroots level to try and develop younger athletes," said Pilgrim. 

"It's an excellent initiative and one that we really applaud. 

"We look forward to it as that will be the future of sport in Guyana." 

Jamaica - July 2022

When the athletics at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games begins at Alexander Stadium, much focus will inevitably be placed on Jamaica.

The powerhouse sprinting nation has been responsible for a production line of star athletes over the years, with a certain Usain Bolt the brightest name of them all.

In Birmingham, it will not be the strongest possible Jamaican line-up but you can be sure it will be a competitive squad, and the absence of some of the very best gives opportunities for others to flourish.

Triple Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who won an incredible fifth women's 100 metres title at the World Championships in Eugene this month, is among those who will be absent.

Elaine Thompson-Herah, who won the 100m and 200m double at both the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympics, is currently on the start-list, however, alongside the Tokyo winner in the men's 110m hurdles, Hansle Parchment.

Shericka Jackson, the world 200m champion in Eugene, has also been named alongside Olympic relay champions Remona Burchell and Natasha Morrison.

Whether all of these make it to the start-line in Birmingham, given the close proximity of the event to the World Championships, remains to be seen.

"Some of those top athletes won't be there," said Jamaica's Chef de Mission Rudolph Speid to insidethegames. 

"But we'll definitely have good enough replacements.

"I think it happens to all the countries when the athletes compete at the Diamond League, the World Championships...

"It's a factor, and I'm sure they don't want to get injured.

"They are running on the circuit and they are doing a lot of races.

"Some of the top, top athletes will not participate."

Speid will be in charge of around 110 athletes in Birmingham, with Jamaica competing in 18 sports.

He said he was looking forward to some breakthrough names leaving their mark on the athletics track.

"Some of these athletes would not normally get a chance to represent Jamaica, at the likes of the Olympics and World Championships," he said.

"This is one of the events that they look forward to as a springboard to get into the limelight.

"Normally we have breakout athletes and I expect the same here."

Speid also served as Chef de Mission at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima.

He is the chairman of the Jamaican Football Association's Technical Committee and a sporting director at the Cavalier club.

Other roles include previously serving as President of the Jamaica Volleyball Association.

"I understand what is expected of me," he said of the Chef de Mission task.

"It's really something that I enjoy.

"Ensuring that everything goes well and the country performs at its best, and ensuring the athletes are comfortable, the other managers are comfortable, and our sponsors are comfortable...

"All of those are on the Chef de Mission's head. They are the person in charge of everybody.

"It's a very important role that can help the team to perform at a maximum." 

Jamaica first competed at the Commonwealth Games in London in 1934 and won a total of 52 gold medals.

Capital Kingston played host in 1966, which was unfortunately one of only two occasions where Jamaica failed to win a gold medal.

In April, the Queen's Baton Relay spent three days in Jamaica and visited sites including the Usian Bolt Track.

The baton was taken to a church service at Spanish Town Cathedral and athletics legend and Olympic champion Don Quarrie was among those to carry it.

"We have always participated so the Commonwealth Games is something we look forward to," said Speid.

"The Commonwealth is still a little bit intriguing for the younger generation, they don't really understand and haven't grown up with it!

"But a lot of the athletes want to participate, especially the ones who want to make a name for themselves."

Montserrat - June 2022

Valerie Samuel can clearly remember the time when things changed forever in Montserrat.

On July 18, 1995, the island's Soufrière Hills volcano began to erupt after lying dormant for centuries, upending the lives of local people in the process.

Those living in the volcano's path were forced to flee and after a major eruption in 1997 the capital of Plymouth was eventually completely abandoned.

Now described as a ghost town, the majority of the buildings were burnt to the ground and left covered in a blanket of lava and ash.

Plymouth, and the southern part of Montserrat, has now been sealed off as an "exclusion zone" due to the continued risk of eruptions and deadly pyroclastic flows.

Nineteen people died in the 1997 tragedy which destroyed the airport and ended a thriving tourist industry on what is known as the "Emerald Isle", due to its resemblance to Ireland. 

Two thirds of people on the island were forced to evacuate at some stage and large numbers left Montserrat for good.

With huge numbers of homes, shops and services wiped off the map, the total population plummeted to only around a thousand at one point in 1997.

Before the eruption the number had been 11,000, with 4,000 in the now deserted Plymouth alone.

"We were living under it actually," said Samuel, who will be Montserrat's Chef de Mission at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

"We were moving backwards and forwards, until the big eruption when we couldn't get back in again.

"They told us to pack a bag and to move overnight, and overnight turned into 20 how much years...

"We couldn't actually see what was happening, but it was stressful for me as at that time I was pregnant with my first child.

"Having to move, trying to get out from under the ash...

"It was an experience I must say.

"We'd heard about volcanoes erupting but we'd never had one until that time."

Samuel was also Chef de Mission for Montserrat at both Glasgow 2014 and Gold Coast 2018, and is a vice-president of the island's Commonwealth Games Association.

She is also President of the netball body and a vice-president for athletics.

Sport, like everything else, was forced to start again from scratch after the volcano struck.

"We had to rebuild," said Samuel. "We had to make a choice - either we leave, or we rebuild. 

"And we wanted to rebuild as we love our country, so some of us stayed and continued on. 

"There was a small group of us who wanted sport to continue, so we basically stepped into the roles. 

"When people see you doing something like that, and see you doing something good, they don't want to move."

Samuel played nationally for Montserrat in netball and has recently coached an under-23 team, but the drop in population made forming a competitive side impossible for many years.

Numbers have now recovered to just under 5,000, but producing and then keeping hold of talented athletes remains a problem.

The British territory, which is not a member of the Olympic Movement, has only ever competed in the Commonwealth Games in athletics.

This trend is set to continue in Birmingham, where five sprinters have been selected for the 100 and 200 metres at Alexander Stadium.

All of the athletes chosen - Julius Morris, Johmari Lee, Tevique Benjamin, Sanjay Weekes and Deshawn Wilkins - are men and the island has never sent a woman to the Games since debuting in Victoria in 1994.

"Before the volcano I was part of the netball national committee," said Samuel. "But most of our players left for England, and we still have that challenge.

"We take athletes to a certain level and then, after a while, they decide to migrate to the UK. 

"So you have to start all over again." 

Access to facilities is also a problem with Montserrat's runners forced to practice on the beach or a grass track on the northern part of the island.

The hilly geography means identifying a suitable piece of land to build a proper track is a tough task, and any project would be expensive and not seen as a priority for a place which was essentially reduced to a blank canvas. 

"Since the volcano we came over here and we are sharing a multi-purpose facility," said Samuel, a coach for the Government of Montserrat who has taught sports such as netball, athletics, basketball and cricket to children from kindergarten age. 

"We hope to get a track, but the problem is on this side of the island we don't have much flat land.

"It's difficult and it doesn't seem like it's possible right now, unless somebody decides to give us some of their land." 

As running on grass and sand is far from ideal preparation for the Commonwealth Games, Montserrat tries to send its athletes abroad as much as possible.

However, this was stopped dead during the COVID-19 pandemic which forced the island into lockdowns and curfews.

Two athletes did travel to this year's CARIFTA Games but track time on a genuine surface has been limited.

Despite this, Morris will be an athlete to watch after being selected for his third Commonwealth Games.

At Gold Coast 2018, he won his heat in the 200m and was third in his semi-final with a time of 20.69sec.

He was only 0.7 seconds away from qualifying for the final as one of the fastest losers.

"He's our most senior athlete," Samuel said. "He was in Glasgow and did very well in Gold Coast.

"I hope that in spite of our challenges, we get much better results this time around."

Montserrat's sky turned completely black due to ash from the volcano's eruption, a far cry from the Emerald Isle tag which is represented on the flag by a woman playing a harp.

The territory has never won a medal and has only ever competed in the men's 100m and 200m at the Commonwealth Games, with the exception of Manchester 2002 where high jumper Gavin Lee formed a one-man team.

In Birmingham, the island will attempt the men's 4x100m relay again after their quartet was disqualified in Glasgow.

The Queen's Baton Relay visited Montserrat in April and was taken to Brades, which is serving as the capital following Plymouth's destruction.

A new capital in Little Bay is being built and the return of an airport in 2005 was a huge milestone as it ended the need to catch a ferry to Antigua.

Sarah Tucker, the governor, has targeted the Victoria 2026 Commonwealth Games for the first female athlete from the island, although Samuel's presence at least means there is a woman in a major position. 

"I enjoy the role," she said.

"The team appreciate what I have been doing for them so they chose me again. 

"I appreciate the confidence they have in me."

Saint Kitts and Nevis - November 2021

Saint Kitts and Nevis is hoping that the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will be the perfect showcase for the country's young athletes.

The Caribbean nation is focusing on youth and wants to bring through the next generation of stars to compete at the very highest level.

Sprinter Kim Collins, who won gold in the 100 metres at Manchester 2002, remains as the only Commonwealth Games medallist from the islands.

Collins added the world title in Paris the following year but Leroy Greene, the Saint Kitts and Nevis Chef de Mission for Birmingham 2022, wants to find the athletes to surpass his achievements.

"We are going with the young people, they are the future of our sport," he said to insidethegames.

"A number of our top athletes have retired so we're bringing through this young crop. 

"This young crop is who we expect to compete for us, not only in Birmingham but at the next Olympics.

"We have a youthful population and we're pushing our young people to be the vanguard for the next Olympics, definitely."

Collins' gold in Manchester was the first major sporting title for Saint Kitts and Nevis, a country which only became independent from Britain in 1983.

His victory proved to be controversial as he was allowed to keep his medal despite failing a drugs test for an asthma medication after the race.

The final had been highly eventful, with England's home favourites Mark Lewis-Francis and Dwain Chambers both pulling up with injuries to allow Collins to pounce.

"It was our first international medal so we applaud Kim for that, and the people who made Kim as he didn't do it by himself, he had his coaches and a lot of preparation," said Greene. 

"We're happy about that but we're looking for the people to go even further.

"We have to use the experiences we gain from international competition to bring the next crop of young athletes through."

Collins has moved into coaching, with Jason Rogers the current prospect from Saint Kitts and Nevis who is looking to emulate his 100m achievements.

The 30-year-old reached the semi-finals at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and the final at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, finishing sixth.

"He trains in the States with a new coach," said Greene. "With short preparation for the Olympics he did very well. 

"We expect him to do great things in Birmingham."

Saint Kitts and Nevis plans to take between 10 and 12 athletes to Birmingham 2022, in athletics, beach volleyball and table tennis.

The country has sent three athletes to the ongoing Junior Pan American Games in Cali, including runners Amya Clarke and Tah'j Libard who could graduate to the Birmingham 2022 team.

Greene said next year's event will almost be like a "home Games" for the islands, due to the amount of people from Saint Kitts and Nevis who have settled in Birmingham.

Lincoln Moses, the general manager of West Midlands football club Continental Star, will be acting as the team's "chaperone" when they get to the Games.

Moses has recommended English-based players who are eligible for the Saint Kitts and Nevis football team, including Romaine Sawyers who has appeared in the Premier League with West Bromwich Albion.

"He'll be holding our hand when we go to Birmingham, and lead us through," said Greene. 

"It's a huge event. It's like the Olympics, you know? 

"You have all the big stars from Africa and Europe. To compete there is what the athletes in Saint Kitts and Nevis want to do. 

"These are the big stars that they see on television. It's a big thing, it's a huge thing for us here in Saint Kitts. 

"For athletes from a small island to be competing with all these international athletes... 

"So it's big and gets a lot of a coverage."

Greene said that COVID-19 has had a "huge" impact in the country, with outdoor practice allowed but local leagues currently suspended.

He is a highly-experienced sports official and was part of the group which founded the Saint Kitts and Nevis Olympic Committee (SKNOC) in 1986, three years after independence.

"There was opposition to that because some people, even some of our athletes, would say 'why do we want to go to the Olympics, we have the other territorial Games which we go to?,'" said Greene.

"People weren't looking that far to the Olympic Games. They were saying 'we're too small, we don't have a lot of athletes'. 

"There was a little disbelief that it could happen. So, when it happened, it was a big thing. Like 'you guys have actually got it done.'"

The SKNOC has been able to buy and renovate its own headquarters but sport faces problems from climate change and hurricanes.

Greene is the President of the country's handball association after deciding to introduce the sport in 2009, but has been forced to battle with rising sea levels.

"We do not have a proper indoor facility so we focus on beach handball," he said.  

"For the past several months we couldn't play because we lost the beach to a tropical storm. 

"So the beach is now being refurbished, they are dredging and putting sand in and that kind of thing, to get the beach back the way it was. 

"So we have already seen what the ravages of climate change can do."

The main track and field facility in Saint Kitts has been damaged during hurricanes, while lights at venues have blown away and other facilities have lost their roofs.

"Every year we have to spend money to put things back in," Greene, a founding member of the Caribbean Anti-Doping Organization, said.

"I don't think people have climate change on the front-burner, but it should be. 

"We've seen changes in temperature - it's hotter now than it was when I was a young boy. The hurricanes that we get are stronger. The rain pattern has changed. Every year we lose beach when we have hurricanes."

Greene has been SKNOC assistant secretary general since the organisation's creation, and was Chef de Mission when the country made its multi-sport debut at the 1993 Central American and Caribbean Games in Puerto Rico.

He has since been Chef de Mission at every Summer Olympics since Athens 2004 - except Tokyo 2020 which he skipped over COVID fears - and the Glasgow 2014 and Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.

The country's first Olympic Games was Atlanta 1996 when the country took 10 athletes, but the wait for a first medal goes on.

"That was quite a lot of athletes for us, as back then you could just go to the Olympics," Greene said.

"We now have athletes every four years who qualify to go to the Olympics, so we're very proud of the sporting history in Saint Kitts and Nevis. 

"But we hope to improve on those successes and go even further than we have in the past."  

St Lucia - April 2022

Joyce Huxley was only supposed to stay in St Lucia for a year, but she never went home.

Originally from Scotland, she has now dedicated herself to sport on the Caribbean island.

"I've lived more than half my life on St Lucia now," she said. "I came for one year and just never left. 

"It's spectacularly beautiful and the people are just amazing, really delightful.

"It was an easy transition to make the decision to stay."

Huxley is the St Lucia Chef de Mission for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and first became involved in sports governance through the country's swimming association.

Her daughter Siona was a competitive swimmer who competed at the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games, as well as the inaugural Summer Youth Olympics in Singapore in the same year where she carried the St Lucia flag.

Now, Joyce Huxley is in her fourth term as treasurer at the St Lucia Olympic Committee (SLOC) and Commonwealth Games Association.

She is due to lead a team of 15 athletes to Birmingham, in athletics, swimming, boxing, squash and table tennis.

A place in women's 3x3 basketball was also awarded, but the St Lucia Basketball Federation turned this down as they did not feel they could field a team that would be adequately prepared.

Huxley said she was left impressed by organisers after joining other Chef de Missions for meetings and venue tours in the host city, particularly with regards to the three different Athlete Villages which will be used at the Games.

"I must say that the Organising Committee have done a wonderful job," she said.

"Logistically, it's crazy! Having all of the separate Villages and trying to organise the transport between them and all the rest of it...

"But I'm very confident that they are going to pull it off. 

"I've been very impressed with everything that I've seen. Everything seems to be under control.

"I'd never been to Birmingham before and I thought it was more of an industrial city. 

"But there are some really beautiful parts to it, so I've been quite impressed with the city as well." 

St Lucia's team will be split between the Villages, with some at the NEC and others at the University of Birmingham.

A third Village will be in use at the University of Warwick.

"The boxers, we'll put them out at the NEC complex," Huxley said. 

"That will just be so convenient for them. They will be able to walk from their accommodation to the training venue and the competition venue. It's a very nice site.

"The rest of the team will be based at the University of Birmingham campus, which is lovely. 

"We saw it in the sunshine, it was a beautiful day, and just walking around the campus was very, very special.

"I'll have a general team manager who will stay with the boxing coach and the boxers at the NEC, and I'll stay with the rest of the team at the university." 

A medal hope in Birmingham for St Lucia could be sprinter Julien Alfred, who competes in the 100 metres and 200m. 

Alfred won gold in the 100m at the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games in The Bahamas - where the country's boys' beach soccer team also topped the podium.

She also won silver at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires.

St Lucia will head to Birmingham on the back of their most successful Commonwealth Games ever at Gold Coast 2018.

High jumper Levern Spencer won gold to secure the island's first title in any sport since their debut in Perth in 1962.

Spencer's bronze medals at the two previous Games, and Dominic Johnson's pole vault bronze at Manchester 2002, are the other podium finishes the country has managed.

Unfortunately for St Lucia, Spencer, also a Pan American Games gold medallist, called time on her career at the age of 37 in October so will not be defending her title.

"She's for sure our most decorated athlete but she has unfortunately retired," said Huxley.

"There was a lot of media attention [after Gold Coast] and she went around the schools with her medal.

"She's been a really good ambassador for sport on the island."

Most of St Lucia's team are based in the country, but some are at college in the United States and swimmer Jean-Luc Zephir is located in France.

The Queen's Baton Relay will visit the island in May, with a trip to a volcano among the activities planned.

"People get very excited about the Queen's Baton Relay and get out on the streets and cheer the baton along," Huxley said.

"We arrange for it to go into a number of different schools. 

"The idea is always to get young people involved, and excited about Games and sport in general.

"It's coming in mid May and we're trying to get a lot of media interest in that, to get people excited about seeing the baton doing the rounds in St Lucia."

Huxley was the St Lucia Chef de Mission at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto and the 2018 Central American and Caribbean Games in Barranquilla.

She was Deputy Chef de Mission at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Since November, the SLOC has been led by new President Alfred Emmanuel, who previously served as secretary general for 25 years.

Emmanuel has become well known in wider sporting circles due to his interjections on controversial issues at Association of National Olympic Committees General Assemblies, where most delegates choose to keep quiet.

Richard Peterkin is another notable sporting official from the island, having become one of the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) most thought-provoking voices during his spell as a member between 2009 and 2019.

Fortuna Belrose, the former President of the SLOC, is a regional vice-president of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) for the Caribbean region.

Cricket is by far the most popular sport with the Daren Sammy Ground in Gros Islet the jewel in the crown of the island's sporting facilities. 

"We have a really good athletics stadium down on the south of the island," Huxley said. 

"There are a couple of mini stadiums that are going up. 

"We have the cricket ground of course which is phenomenal. 

"Currently, we have a 25 metre pool, but a new 50m pool is being built. 

"It's arrived on the island but it just needs to be dropped into a hole in the ground. 

"We've got really good tennis facilities. There is quite a range of different facilities and in the time I've been on the island, it's just been phenomenal the improvement and availability of sporting facilities for the general public."

The SLOC has taken the decision not to pursue private funding or sponsorships, so not to compete with the country's National Federations.

Instead, it relies on Olympic Solidarity payments from the IOC and support from the CGF and Panam Sports.

COVID-19, like most places, played havoc with the preparation of athletes.

"Any group activities were just out of the question," Huxley said.

"The borders closed towards the end of March 2020. At the same time, there were just one or two cases, but everyone was being super, super careful. 

"The protocols on the island were very strict. 

"Athletes weren't able to train, and for the qualification sports for the Commonwealth Games it was particularly difficult because our teams were not able to travel to compete or make it to any qualifying events.

"It has been quite problematic. Some sports are already quite well established again and some are just starting up. 

"It has thrown things for a loop as far as training and competing goes. Some sports managed it a little better than others.

"The boxing federation completed their new gym and got a whole lot of new equipment during the pandemic. 

"They've been very, very active. But, for others, it's been a much slower process."  

St Vincent and the Grenadines - May 2022

On April 9, 2021, the La Soufrière volcano in St Vincent violently erupted for the first time in more than 40 years.

After erupting only 23 times in the past 4,000 years, and lying dormant since 1979, the event came as something of a shock.

Islanders had been on red alert since that December, when an effusive eruption set the scene for the dramatic events to come.

"I never thought I would live to see it, but it happened," said Claude Bascombe Jr, the St Vincent and the Grenadines Chef de Mission for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

A huge ash cloud engulfed the island, which also witnessed lava and pyroclastic flows.

"The experience of an eruption is like a two way street," said Bascombe. 

"In one aspect it's magnificent. From the southern part of the island you looked up and you saw the ash cloud going up. 

"You could actually hear the roars of the volcano, but when the ash starts coming down...

"Islands like these, we are not accustomed to seeing snow. But you are almost thinking that you are having snowfall."

Thousands of people were displaced from their homes and activities such as sport were forced to stop.

"There are inherent dangers with ash, of course, that comes along with an eruption," Bascombe said.

"The island was basically blanketed. Barbados, our neighbour by 100 miles, got quite a lot of ash from us as well.

"It might have seemed as though Barbados had a volcanic eruption. We actually shared some of that with them." 

A number of countries offered to take in people who were forced to flee their homes, but some were still waiting to return six months later.

"Our geography is such that the volcano is located in the north of the island," said Bascombe.

"Most of the population centres are located in the south.

"However, the impact was actually felt throughout the island.

"We had to evacuate as many as 20,000 people from the northern side of the island to the south." 

The eruption happened when St Vincent and the Grenadines, like most of the world, had its hands tied battling against the COVID-19 pandemic.

"There was COVID, and then there was a volcano," said Bascombe. 

"You are trying to avoid one hazard by social distancing, and trying your best to keep safe. 

"And then the volcano erupts and you can't really social distance."

With most sport in St Vincent taking place outdoors, athletes were forced inside.

"We had a cessation for track, a cessation for soccer, a cessation for netball, cricket," Bascombe said. "Everything."

St Vincent and the Grenadines is due to take a delegation of 34 or 35 to Birmingham 2022, in athletics, aquatics, cycling, squash and table tennis.

The Caribbean country has won two gold medals in its Commonwealth Games history, including the women's 100 metres title for Natasha Mayers at Delhi 2010.

The other champion is Frankie Lucas, an English boxer who fell out with the authorities in his home country and was snubbed for selection before the Christchurch Games in 1974.

Lucas had moved to London when he was seven but was born in St Vincent, and a national boxing association was created for his benefit.

He duly went on to carry the St Vincent and the Grenadines flag at the Opening Ceremony in Christchurch, before winning the middleweight gold medal.

"It's a big one for athletes in the sense it's international, and it's cross-discipline," said Bascombe.

"It is the Commonwealth Games after all."

Bascombe has represented St Vincent and the Grenadines in karate, and is the President of the country's national federation.

Birmingham 2022 will be his first time as Chef de Mission.

"I'm looking forward to it more than ever having had the opportunity to attend the open days in Birmingham in March, and interacting with more seasoned Chef de Missions from past Games," he said. 

"It has helped to lift my confidence in the role.

"Coming from a small island territory, there is usually a lot of weight on your shoulders. 

"Because most times you are not often seen, because you are limited in your ability to get to a lot of places. 

"But when you do get to go out and show what you can do, you have to try your best to represent."

Bascombe also competed in athletics before settling on karate.

"I ran track when I was in high school, and actually had the opportunity to represent at the Central American and Caribbean Games," he said.

"I was multi-discipline, I did sprints and field events. At one point my speciality was high jump.

"I had to choose one eventually, so I ended up retiring from track when I left high school." 

Cricket, like most of the Caribbean, is a passion in St Vincent, although the West Indies have not played a Test match at Kingstown's Arnos Vale Stadium since 2014.

The last one-day international was in 2012, with football and track and field among other popular sports.

In 2020, a new national stadium with an athletics track was opened in Diamond.

Athletes are making full use of this, and improvements are planned.

St Vincent and the Grenadines debuted at the Commonwealth Games in Cardiff in 1958, but missed the next edition in Perth.

After attending every Games between 1966 and 1978, the country, which gained independence from Britain in 1979, was absent for three editions in a row from Brisbane 1982.

Since Victoria 1994, they have been ever-present. 

Bascombe described COVID-19 as the "biggest tragedy for sport".

"Not just in St Vincent but for sport on a global scale," he added.

"Having to adjust to the realities of social distancing, and all the restrictions which came with it.

"We, like I'm sure others throughout the globe, will have suffered.

"Because of our relatively small size as a nation, we actually suffer more because having not had the resources of bigger territories, our smaller resources obviously would have been depleted further.

"As a result that would cause a lot of fallout with regards to sport over the last two years." 

 Coronavirus has inevitably dominated the planning for Birmingham 2022 organisers.

"I think it is a significant undertaking for Birmingham," said Bascombe.

"Obviously there were challenges because of the pandemic and having to span across not just one Village. 

"That's quite a task and I think that is to be commended, given the challenges, that they are able to pull it off.

"I think that once we have cooperation across the Games from all the stakeholders, it should be a very successful event." 

Trinidad and Tobago - April 2022

Lovie Santana, the Trinidad and Tobago Chef de Mission for Birmingham 2022, experienced the full range of British weather when attending last month's open days for this year's Commonwealth Games.

"It was bright and sunny, then it was cold and it was snowing one day," she told insidethegames.

"I think we got the four types of season in one week."

Santana has recent experience of being a Chef de Mission after taking the role at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics in February, where the Caribbean nation fielded a two-man bobsleigh team.

She was also Chef de Mission at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics last year, and was interested in Birmingham 2022's multiple Athlete Village set-up when attending the open days.

Villages will be in operation at the University of Birmingham, the NEC and the University of Warwick, as well as a satellite Village in London for the track cycling.

"Having come back from Beijing and going into Birmingham, and seeing the set-up of what they have planned for the upcoming Games, it's certainly something that is different from the usual," said Santana.

"One of the things that really stood out for me is that all the Games Villages that we visited will be equipped with everything, and be similar to the main Village, which is the University of Birmingham. 

"I found that very interesting, and I look forward to seeing it in real time, Games time.

"I have been to so many Games, and usually when you hear that you have different Villages or satellite Villages, you usually do not get the same infrastructure in each Village.

"So that was one of the things that really stood out for me. 

"I feel a sense of comfort and I know I can rely on the local Organising Committee to really put in the infrastructure that they say they will put in, and that our athletes will be taken care of. 

"Because what they presented seemed to be very well planned. That was one of the highlights for me."

The NEC village will be convenient for athletes competing nearby - with this benefit perhaps counteracting the negative aspects of splitting teams up across the various locations. 

"That was something spectacular for me because the athletes will basically be in one zone," said Santana.

"It is walking distance to everything, from training to venue. 

"Even though there is a lot of separation, it is well thought out in how they go about having the sports separated and so on."

Trinidad and Tobago is expecting to compete in at least eight sports at Birmingham 2022, although the team is yet to be completely confirmed.

The total team size, including athletes, coaches and officials, will likely be over 100 in athletics, swimming, boxing, judo, netball, cycling, table tennis and triathlon.

Athletes to keep on the radar include Keshorn Walcott, who won gold in the javelin at the London 2012 Olympics and then bronze at Rio 2016.

The country's two champions from the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games could also return, with Michelle-Lee Ahye winning the women's 100 metres in Australia and Jereem Richards adding the men's 200m title.

Santana also pointed to the country's strong cycling team, which includes world track silver medallist Nicholas Paul.

In the pool, Dylan Carter won silver in the men's 50m butterfly in Gold Coast and was second again in the same event at the World Short Course Championships in Abu Dhabi this year. 

"As a Chef, and speaking for some of the officials that have attended, the Commonwealth Games is usually a very well planned Games," said Santana. 

"The operations are usually smooth and there are fewer issues. 

"So a lot of people really look forward to it."

Trinidad and Tobago's proud athletics history includes the likes of Ato Boldon, the world 200m champion in 1997 and a four-time Olympic medallist.

Hasely Crawford won the country's first Olympic title over 100m at Montreal 1976, while the islands struck gold again in the men's 4x100m relay at Beijing 2008.

This year, the best track and field athletes from all Commonwealth Games nations must cope with a congested schedule.

The World Athletics Championships in Oregon will end just four days before the Birmingham 2022 Opening Ceremony on July 28, causing a headache for those hoping to compete at both.

"We started discussions with our athletes during their competitions at Tokyo 2020," said Santana. 

"We had one-on-one conversations with athletes, and we were asking how they feel about coming from the Worlds and heading straight into the Commonwealth Games.

"Some of the athletes, they are ready for it, they want to compete. 

"So I think we will have some of our star athletes going into the Commonwealth Games. 

"I don't think that will be a major issue. 

"We just have to ensure the logistics for their travel are planned accordingly, so that they can get to Birmingham."

Santana originally started in admin support, before becoming a Deputy Chef de Mission and then finally Chef de Mission.

Birmingham 2022 should see fans return to a multi-sport Games, and allow more freedoms, after Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022 were heavily impacted by COVID-19.

"It's no secret that COVID certainly impacted a lot of our athletes, physically, mentally and even financially as some make their money going to different meets and so on, and they were unable to do so," said Santana.

"The training regime for the Olympics was not the same as what they would have done for previous years. 

"It impacted a lot of pre-Games camps, and getting that proper training in prior to the Games." 

Like all of the Caribbean countries, Trinidad and Tobago will welcome the addition of a women's T20 cricket tournament to the Commonwealth Games schedule, even though Barbados has been selected to represent the West Indies.

Cricket stars from the country include the great Brian Lara, who still holds the Test match record for best individual score with 400 not out, and the best first class score of 501 not out.

Striker Dwight Yorke was a member of Manchester United's treble winning squad in 1999, with Trinidad and Tobago making a memorable appearance at the FIFA World Cup in 2006.

Santana said there is always camaraderie between the Caribbean nations at multi-sport events.

Brian Lewis, the President of the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee, also heads the Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees.

"We have Caribbean love," Santana said. 

"We always try to support one another. 

"At the Winter Olympics, we had Jamaica competing as well in the bobsleigh.

"Our team went down the track before them, and we stood with the Jamaican team and we were supporting them as well.

"So that alone shows the kind of support that we will give the Caribbean countries.

"I think it's the norm for us when we go to Games. 

"We're very familiar with the officials and executive members.

"Having been to a number of meetings and Games, you build that network and you build friendships.

"It's normal for us to be able to depend on each other."

Turks and Caicos Islands - April 2022

Just under 40,000 people live in the Turks and Caicos Islands - an Atlantic paradise which lies to the southeast of The Bahamas and to the north of Hispaniola. 

As the British Overseas Territory does not have an Olympic team, athletes from the islands can only compete on the grandest sporting stage in GB colours.

To date, Delano Williams is the only person to have achieved the feat after the sprinter was selected for the Rio 2016 Games.

Williams received a hero's welcome when he returned to Turks and Caicos after his appearance in Brazil, with a motorcade greeting him shortly after he landed.

But his Olympic experience was a mixed bag, with the high of making history tempered with the low of his British team being disqualified from the 4x400 metres relay.

The quartet won their heat to cement themselves as big medal hopes in the final, but Martyn Rooney was then deemed to have started outside of the changeover zone and the team were thrown out.

Williams, a world relay bronze medallist in 2015, is due to see action at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games when he will be in Turks and Caicos colours.

"We are expecting great things from him," said Rosalie Ingham-Hall, the Turks and Caicos Islands Chef de Mission for the Games.

"At Rio everyone was so excited. 

"Some companies designed t-shirts, everyone was glued to their televisions to watch. We were extremely proud of him.

"The end was disappointing but at the same time we were still proud of the fact that he made it to the Olympics." 

In 2012, Williams won the world junior title over 200m in a Turks and Caicos vest, and he competed at the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games.

He is due to be part of an 11-strong team at Birmingham 2022, across the sports of athletics, swimming and road cycling.

Other names to watch include long jumper Ifeanyichukwu Otuonye, who competed at both the Glasgow 2014 and Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games and is due for a third straight appearance.

The Nigerian-born athlete won a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Youth Games held in the Isle of Man in 2011.

Swimming and cycling, meanwhile, are new sports for Turks and Caicos which made its Commonwealth Games debut in 1978 but then did not return for 20 years.

They have now been ever-present since Kuala Lumpur 1998, but are still waiting for their first medal.

"It is one of the biggest events for us," said Ingham-Hall, the general secretary of the Turks and Caicos Islands Commonwealth Games Association.

"The locals will be watching the Opening Ceremony, track and field, swimming and cycling, if nothing else!"

Ingham-Hall was the Chef de Mission at Glasgow 2014 and also held the role at the 2018 Central American and Caribbean Games in Barranquilla. 

She is also general secretary of the Turks and Caicos Islands Amateur Athletic Association, and enjoyed a track career which saw her represent the territory at the Central American and Caribbean Games, the CARIFTA Games and the Pan American Championships.

Her speciality was the 200m and the 400m, and she is a previous national record holder for both distances.

"I was excited and nervous being so young at the time," said Ingham-Hall on her career.

"But I looked forward to it.

"It has allowed me the opportunity to visit a lot of places and experience a lot of different cultures.

"And I've met a lot of people who I am still friendly with to this day.

"It has great advantages."

Turks and Caicos welcomed the Queen's Baton Relay this month, which visited most of the inhabited islands.

Historical sites in the territory, known for its long history of exporting salt, were also part of the celebrations and athletes including Williams were involved.

Popular sports include cricket, athletics, basketball, rugby, football and softball and there has been a recent boost for facilities.

"The national stadium just got a new track," said Ingham-Hall.

"And we just heard the announcement recently that they have purchased land to build a swimming pool."

The previous athletics track, which hosted the 2007 CARIFTA Games, was damaged by a hurricane.

Ingham-Hall attended the Birmingham 2022 open days which were held last month and offered Chef de Missions the chance to visit facilities and assess preparations.

"Sports have played a very important role in my development - most importantly it helped me to cope with the highs and lows of life and to build character, resilience, respect and patience," she said.

"It is always a privilege and honour to lead Team Turks and Caicos to any championships event or to be away from the spotlight getting things done. 

"My task is an important responsibility which I take on whole-heartedly."  

Cyprus - July 2022

Before Gold Coast 2018, the best performance from Cyprus at the Commonwealth Games came at Delhi 2010 when they won four gold medals.

In the Australian city, rhythmic gymnast Diamanto Evripidou won that many on her own, along with a silver and a bronze, to become one of the stars of the event.

Evripidou topped the podium in the team, all-around, hoop and ball competitions, as well as claiming silver with the ribbon and bronze with the clubs.

Marios Georgiou also won two gold medals in artistic gymnastics, on floor and parallel bars, and with both individual skeet gold medals also going to Cyprus the country left Gold Coast with eight titles, doubling their record from Delhi.

It means improving on that performance at Birmingham 2022 will be a tough ask, particularly as Evripidou is not attending and shooting, which has brought the island a lot of success, has been dropped from the programme.

Cyprus will compete in 10 sports in Birmingham, with 46 athletes in the team and a total delegation of around 100.

"Preparations are going well," said Georgios Papageorgiou, the Cyprus Chef de Mission for Birmingham 2022. 

"Cyprus is on track, Cyprus will be there.

"We truly hope that at least they have a good time, the athletes."

Cypriot athletes warmed up for Birmingham 2022 at the Mediterranean Games in Oran in Algeria last month, where they won five gold medals.

Georgiou won gold on the horizontal bar and two other Tokyo 2020 Olympians also tasted success en-route to the Commonwealth Games.

Hurdler Milan Trajkovic won gold over 60 metres at the 2019 European Indoor Championships and claimed the 110m title in Oran.

Discus thrower Apostolos Parellis also won Mediterranean gold and has two Commonwealth Games medals in his collection, silver from Glasgow 2014 and bronze from Gold Coast 2018.

Swimmer Kalia Antoniou was another to capture Mediterranean gold in the 100m freestyle, and, although rhythmic gymnastics was not on the Oran programme, the likes of Anna Sokolova will try and follow in the footsteps of Evripidou in Birmingham.

"My target as Chef de Mission is to take 100 people there and return with 100 people, and not 90 or 95 or whatever," joked Papageorgiou, an Executive Board member of the Cyprus Olympic Committee.

"From then on if a medal comes, it will be more than welcome."

In October, Cyprus had the honour of being the first overseas country to welcome the Birmingham 2022 Queen's Baton Relay.

Seventeen-year-old swimmer Nikolas Antoniou was the first runner and took the baton to Petra tou Romiou, said to be the birthplace of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and beauty.

Trajkovic took the baton to a monument dedicated to Apollo, while it was taken on a jet ski by swimmers Maria Papadopolou and Jack Hadjiconstantinou.

The baton also plunged beneath the waves to visit an underwater sculpture park.

Cyprus, which has competed at every edition of the Commonwealth Games since Edmonton 1978 with the exception of Edinburgh 1986, staged a memorable celebration for Commonwealth Day in March.

"We hosted it at the Olympic House, it was a very good experience," said Papageorgiou.

"We had about 600 kids from schools visiting, and the different sports federations that will participate in the Commonwealth Games.

"We had people from the High Commission speaking about the Commonwealth as well."

Papageorgiou, who plays hockey as a goalkeeper, is enjoying the challenge of being Chef de Mission, despite the demands of the job.

"The closer we come to the departure, it becomes an everyday thing," he said.

"It is stressful, but it is a nice journey. I call it a journey. 

"There is a very well known Greek poem.

"The first two verses go like this - 'when you set sail for Ithaki, may you wish your journey is long, full of adventure and experience'.

"This is what it has been for me, a long journey. There are hiccups, there is adventure, there is experience."

In June, Prince Edward, the youngest of Queen Elizabeth II's children and the vice-patron of the Commonwealth Games Federation, visited Cyprus with his wife Sophie.

"We got invited to the Queen's Jubilee celebrations at the High Commission, when, allow me to joke, 'Eddie' was there," Papageorgiou said.

"Prince Edward was there.

"We were invited because we had that joint event with the High Commission.

"This is what I mean, it's a very pleasant journey." 

England - July 2022

Mark England is a man used to success and he wants more of the same at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

England will lead his namesake host nation after achieving outstanding success as the Great Britain Chef de Mission at both Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.

In Rio, Britain superbly finished second on the medal table with 27 golds - gazumping China and becoming the first country to better their performance four years after playing host.

At the delayed Tokyo 2020 Games last year, Britain finished fourth and was one of the few delegations to stay entirely COVID free.

The Commonwealth Games has always been a straight shoot-out between England and Australia to see who tops the medal table.

Only these two countries have finished at the summit, with the exception of Canada at the first edition in Hamilton in 1930.

Australia ended top at their home Gold Coast 2018 Games four years ago, with England topping the pile at Glasgow 2014.

In Birmingham, there is only one position that England - and England - have their sights on.

"Our aspiration is to top the medal table," England said.

"That's what we're here for.

"It will be a pretty good arm wrestle. If you saw them at the World Swimming Championships recently, Australia are a very good team. 

"Everyone wants to come to the host nation and do the best they can against them.

"We've got 430 athletes who absolutely want to top the medal table. 

"We've got 500 support staff that want to top the medal table, we've got a nation who wants us to do that as well.

"We're going to give it everything. The reason we love sport is that it's not predictable. 

"So I can't say where we'll be in two weeks time, but everything that we could have possibly done to support the athletes is in place."

England admitted that the packed sporting year, including the World Athletics Championships which concluded in Eugene last month, has made things tough for athletes who want to compete at every competition.

"In this particular calendar year it has been congested," he said.

"You're back-to-back from the Worlds to the Commonwealths to the Europeans. 

"For our athletes to peak all the time is quite challenging for them. 

"Physically, it's demanding."

As well as performing well, England wants the host nation's delegation to conduct itself in the right manner as they prepare to welcome the Commonwealth.

He is someone who has attended 10 Olympic Games in a leadership role, and will reprise Chef de Mission duties at Paris 2024, so knows what he expects.

"When I was in Tokyo, a sailor from the early 50s who competed for Great Britain, and who I'd never met, wrote to me and said that he was impressed with everything the British Olympic athletes were saying in media interviews," England said.

"We work a lot on the culture of the team, the culture and the values and the behaviours around the team are super important to me. 

"We've been on a journey for sometime with Team England athletes.

"We have a welcome for every athlete who comes in, predominantly sport by sport. 

"We speak to every athlete. We were at our welcome in the Village and I said publicly to everybody who was there, that as a host nation every athlete has the opportunity to be good hosts, and I want them to be good hosts.

"It's complicated trying to get from Village to Village, it's a complex Games to pull off and if you're not familiar with it, it's even more complex. 

"I want us to help the fellow nations and fellow athletes the best we can. 

"We've helped two Commonwealth Games Associations with some of their logistics which will give them some performance support, and we're happy to do that."

England said he had a number of hopes for how the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will go.

"On the sporting front I'd like to see a strong transition from junior through to senior, through to the Paris 2024 cycle," he said. 

"For Birmingham I'd like to see a legacy and that they use the Commonwealth Games as a springboard for hosting international events or whatever the aspirations of the city are.

"For young people in the region and across the UK, and across England in particular, I'd like to see the opportunity to see participation rise.

"For T20 women's cricket I'd love to see this as a platform for it to be included at multi-sport Games in a way that the 1998 Kuala Lumpur men's cricket hasn't.

"It's an opportunity for Sport England to invest in the Commonwealth Games, and for Commonwealth Games England to leave a real strong lasting legacy for Melbourne 2026 and beyond. 

"There's a whole raft of it really. 

"An opportunity for some sports that don't necessarily get showcased to strengthen their participation levels in a way they haven't done, in many respects in a way that some of the sports around London 2012 didn't either.

"There's some pretty tough areas in Birmingham. There's some pretty tough areas in the West Midlands. 

"It's an opportunity for those kids to swim in the same pool as Adam Peaty, to run on the same track as Dina Asher-Smith, to jump on the diving boards that Jack Laugher and others are going to compete on." 

With some questioning the relevance of the Commonwealth Games, England said he believes the event still has importance and is worthy of its place on the calendar.

"It's been really invigorating," he said.

"It's been an opportunity to work more closely with a lot of Olympic athletes. 

"We wouldn't necessarily get a second bite. 

"Tokyo was only last year and I was talking with some of those guys.

"There's an opportunity to see them in the European Games next year and then the opportunity to see them in Paris. 

"We don't usually have those close touchpoints. There are a number of people who worked in Tokyo who are now embedded in the team. 

"So for me it provides a continuity that we wouldn't normally see.

"When you talk to Adam Peaty, and you talk to Jack Laugher, and you talk to Emily Campbell, and you talk to these guys who have committed the last two years of training to become a Commonwealth champion at a home Games, a home Games brings it to a different level and you see that it absolutely does have relevance. 

"When you see the team Australia has put out, the swimmers they have put out, it has relevance across the Commonwealth.

"We're excited to see what England can do on the field of play. And I have every confidence they'll do very, very well."

Gibraltar - March 2022

The Commonwealth Games is a rare chance for athletes from non-Olympic nations to rub shoulders with the very elite of sport.

When Gibraltar's triathlete Chris Walker raced at Glasgow 2014, he did so against a field which included England's dominant Brownlee brothers.

Challenging for a medal was never on the agenda, but he could not simply enjoy the race and the experience of competing on a grand stage.

A controversial rule - which was axed four years later in Gold Coast after being deemed as unfair - was in place and stipulated that any athlete who was lapped on the cycling leg would have to drop out.

This meant there was intense pressure on those from smaller teams who faced the challenging test of avoiding being caught by Alistair Brownlee, the London 2012 Olympic champion, and his brother Jonny who had bagged bronze.

In the end, only 27 triathletes reached the finish line as 14 were lapped and eliminated.

Walker, however, passed the test and was the only amateur to finish. Alistair Brownlee won gold with his brother second, but the man from Gibraltar likely felt as good as them as he came home.

"We had Alistair and Jonny Brownlee on fire, they absolutely annihilated the field and the bike was five laps," said Walker, now the Gibraltar Chef de Mission for Birmingham 2022, to insidethegames.

"We knew there was a good chance you'd get lapped. They basically broke off the front and demolished the whole field.  

"The race turned out to be swim as far as you can for 1500 metres, and then cycle your heart out for four laps because once you got through the fourth lap, you were safe.

"The crowd that day, they realised what was happening. When I came down the hill to the finish line, they were so supportive that I felt like I'd won. 

"I've never experienced anything like it. When the top athletes say the crowd gave them an extra push, I honestly experienced it there. This wave of support literally carried me to the finish line. It was a really special moment."

Walker, who was remarkably 47 at the time, had the chance to speak with Alistair, who went on to defend his Olympic gold medal at Rio 2016.

"He said 'well done to you mate for staying ahead of us,'" Walker said. "He was great. He said they'd both agreed to go 100 per cent from the swim start, and if anyone stayed with them, great for them."

Glasgow was Walker's fourth Commonwealth Games, and he would add a fifth appearance aged 50 in Gold Coast, where the scrapping of the rule meant everyone finished.

His debut came at Manchester 2002, where he lined up alongside Canada's Olympic champion Simon Whitfield at the start.

The sport was making its maiden Games appearance, just two years after it debuted at the Olympics in Sydney where Whitfield won gold.

This newness did not stop the people in Manchester flocking to watch, however.

"We were totally unprepared for the scenes we experienced when we walked out of the tent and were called down to the pontoon," Walker said.

"There were tens of thousands of people, there was a multi-storey car park on the right hand side and every level was filled to the brim. 

"Where we swam was in this sunken quay, and the whole of the quayside was lined with people. I can just remember walking out to this wall of sound. 

"I remember diving into the water and every time you turned your head to breathe, just seeing all the flashes from all the cameras. 

"Every time you popped your head out of the water, the noise coming from the crowd was unbelievable. It was the most amazing experience."

So many fans being in attendance can add to the nerves, however.

"It was wet and drizzly," Walker added.

"They had us going over the tramlines on the bike and I was petrified of falling off in front of all these people. 

"My aim was not to make a fool of myself but the race went really well."  

Walker's experiences demonstrate how much the Commonwealth Games can mean to athletes from the smaller nations and territories which do not have the option of the Olympics.

Glasgow, where he tussled with the Brownlees, was extra special as he was chosen to be Gibraltar's flagbearer at the Opening Ceremony.

"Certainly being the flagbearer for me was the pinnacle of my sporting career, and outshone any great performances I'd experienced," he said. 

"Because leading your country in, I don't think anything can ever beat it. 

"We walked out at Celtic Park and we had the little Scottie dogs which was fantastic. 

"We have a small team and we all know each other very well. That enhances that experience, it's just that feeling of carrying the flag, that is the difference. 

"No matter what people tell you about walking out into a massive stadium, you just can't appreciate it until you actually experience it. 

"But when you're walking out and you're carrying the flag of your country, it's such a special moment. I remember it vividly but there are so many emotions at that time it's difficult to put into words." 

Walker is the President of the Gibraltar Triathlon Association and competed in cycling at the Melbourne 2006 and Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games after undergoing back surgery, which limited his ability to run.

He battled back to his favoured sport of triathlon and is rightly proud of the longevity of his career, which continued years after many would have retired.

"What I'm most proud of is the consistency," he said. "It is difficult, especially in an endurance sport.

"I think I was at my best in Glasgow when I was 47. 

"For Gold Coast, unfortunately they changed it to sprint distance which favours the younger athletes. 

"It's the longer the better really if you're older. In Gold Coast I was five seconds off a pack of swimmers and I missed the group on the bike. So it's fine margins."

Gibraltar is hoping to take 22 athletes to Birmingham 2022 in sports including athletics, road cycling, swimming, triathlon and squash. There are also hopes for mountain bike, rhythmic gymnastics and weightlifting.

Athletes to watch include cyclist Mark Lett, a talented rower who has switched to the bike, and swimmer Jordan Gonzalez who reached the semi-finals of the 50m backstroke in Gold Coast.

Kelvin Gomez has moved from athletics to follow in Walker's footsteps in triathlon, and boasts a promising cycle and run, while it is hoped that Holly O'Shea will be given a spot in weightlifting.

Gibraltar hosted the Island Games in 2019, which attracted multi-million pound investment and left the territory at the foot of Spain with excellent facilities. 

This includes a new 50m pool which can be split into two 25m pools, which is next door to a 400m athletics track.

"Across the board we've got excellent facilities for all sports involved in the Commonwealth Games," said Walker.

"Rhythmic gymnasts have their own hall, we've got squash clubs, our main cycling is in Spain but it's the most amazing routes just over the border. 

"And of course we've got the weather which makes all the difference."

Gibraltar won eight gold medals at its home Island Games and the experience has improved standards.

"The whole community got behind it and I think what it has done is that the strength of the Commonwealth Games team for Birmingham would not have happened had we not hosted in 2019," Walker said.

"In several sports we have raised our standards quite significantly.

"The way things are looking at the moment, I honestly think we're going to have the strongest team we've ever had in Birmingham, which is very exciting for us.

"The standard required is a significant step up. 

"It really does resonate with all athletes as something to aspire to and achieve, it's not one of those things that you can dabble in to get qualification. 

"You have to be really committed to your sport to get the chance to compete in the Commonwealth Games.

"It's massive for us in the sporting circles. Gibraltar's such a small place, we've only got a population of 30,000. 

"Because of that the Commonwealth Games is the pinnacle, it's the highest level we can compete in because we're not part of the Olympic Movement. It's by far the best experience an athlete can attain to."

Gibraltar submitted a bid for the now-delayed 2021 Commonwealth Youth Games which were awarded to Trinidad and Tobago, and has applied unsuccessfully for Olympic recognition several times.

At London 2012, rhythmic gymnast Georgina Cassar became the first Olympian from Gibraltar but did so in British colours.

The territory is recognised by a number of governing bodies, however, including football organisations FIFA and UEFA after victories at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

"Gibraltar will always have the aspiration to compete in the Olympics and we hope that one day we will find a way that enables us to do that," Walker said.

"At some point in the 1990s we applied and fulfilled all the criteria. They didn't reply to us and then changed the criteria, before replying and saying 'you don't fulfil the criteria'. 

"We have looked at the legal aspects and everything else but unfortunately there wasn't a way for us to do it." 

Gibraltar is yet to win a Commonwealth Games medal but can look to Bermuda's Flora Duffy, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic triathlon champion, as an example of what smaller teams can do.

Duffy is now worshipped in Bermuda - home to 64,000 people - where a stadium, stamps, rum and a street have all been named after her.

"It would 100 per cent have been the same in Gibraltar," said Walker. "When Gibraltar won Miss World, we had a public holiday.

"We've yet to find our Flora Duffy. It can happen and, every once in a while, it will happen. 

"We just have to work hard in developing sport and the coaches. We have fantastic facilities here, so we have all the ingredients for it, we just have to find that special person who has all the attributes and the mental attitude and everything else, and the ability to perform at that elite level." 

Walker said he was expecting Birmingham 2022, which is due to run between July 28 and August 8, to be a success.

"I'm 100 per cent convinced," he said.

"From my experience, when the Games are held in a relatively small city, I find that the whole city gets behind it, and whoever you talk to the focus is on the Games, and I think that's going to happen in Birmingham. 

"The fact that it will be the first major Games to allow attendance from the public will be a huge difference. 

"Some people who have qualified for the team for the first time have said 'I wish the Games were somewhere exotic like the Gold Coast, you were so lucky'. 

"But I've said that's completely not the case. 

"When you are representing Gibraltar in the UK, because our ties are so, so close, the crowd support Gibraltar like it's England, Scotland or Wales. 

"We get the same level of support and I think that's what makes it such a special Games. 

"From my experience the Games that have been held in the UK have been by far the best." 

Guernsey - November 2021

Some athletes will only learn if they are heading to the Commonwealth Games at the last moment, but that won't be the case in Guernsey.

The Channel Island is hoping to finalise its team for Birmingham 2022 by the end of January, meaning those successful will have a number of months to get focused for the task ahead.

Six athletes have already been named, with the team set to swell to 28 in the early part of next year.

"I know that's quite early compared to the big teams, but at the end of the day we've only got 28 athlete places," said Angela Stuart, Guernsey's Chef de Mission, to insidethegames.

"The very elite always stand out and for those still on development pathways, they still have competitions between now and the end of the year.

"So they've still got time to gain the standards or get as near to them as they can.

"For the six athletes selected that's good news for them and their preparations."

Among the six selected so far is 400 metres runner Cameron Chalmers, who competed for Britain at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in the men's and mixed relays.

His brother Alastair has been chosen in the 400m hurdles, while road cyclists Sam Culverwell, Seb Tremlett and Marc Cox have also been picked.

Triathlete Josh Lewis completes the initial list of names, with Guernsey also targeting places in badminton, bowls, boxing and swimming.

It is also hoped that they could qualify an athlete in weightlifting.

"We're here to support all of them, what assistance they need when they are at the Games and before the Games," said Stuart, the secretary general of the Guernsey Commonwealth Games Association (CGA).

"We're the umbrella supporting the sports. 

"Until we actually make that final selection in January, we won't actually know who's made the grade and who unfortunately won't make it this time."

Guernsey has won six medals - one gold, three silvers and two bronze - in its Commonwealth Games history.

Their last podium finish was a bronze for shooters Adrian Breton and Graham Le Maitre in the 25m rapid fire pistol pairs at Victoria 1994, nearly 30 years ago.

The island has achieved notable success at the Commonwealth Youth Games, however, demonstrating that there is a pathway for young athletes.

Alistair Chalmers won 400m hurdles gold in The Bahamas in 2017, and became British champion last year.

Culverwell won Youth Games silver in The Bahamas in the road race, and now rides for the Trinity Racing team.

Tennis has also provided Commonwealth Youth Games success for Guernsey, although the sport is not part of the senior programme.

Heather Watson, later a mixed doubles champion at Wimbledon, won the girls' singles title in Pune in 2008, before brothers Jack and Brent Oldfield won the boys' doubles in Samoa in 2015.  

Guernsey is another team disappointed that shooting has not made the Birmingham 2022 programme - along with the likes of India and Malta.

Five of the island's six medals have come in the sport, including the only gold won by Breton in the rapid fire pistol at Auckland 1990.

The consolation prize of the standalone Commonwealth Archery and Shooting Championships in Chandigarh in India was also taken away, as the event was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We were very disappointed and we supported our shooters in writing to the federation for a consideration," said Stuart. 

"Our shooters were keen to go to India because big international competitions are few and far between. 

"So they were very disappointed that it wasn't included, but we can't have all sports in every Games. But it's a shame." 

Guernsey will struggle to compete in team sports at the Commonwealth Games, as its local organisations are often affiliated to England so therefore cannot enter qualifying events.

But the pandemic has not had the severe impact it has had elsewhere - despite the island enduring two eight-week lockdowns between March and May 2020 and January and March of this year.

"By keeping the borders closed, we've been quite lucky," said Stuart.

"That did mean that some of our athletes who would normally be at university and so on actually stayed on the island, so they were able to compete and train quite openly. 

"We have had competition, albeit local competition. We did have air bridges as well with the Isle of Man for some time, as they were also COVID free. 

"In July this year our borders slowly opened and although we do have live cases now, we're about 90 per cent vaccinated. 

"So the vaccination programme has helped everybody to leave the island and come back. Where there is competition available our athletes are now getting off island and achieving the standards that are required." 

Guernsey's other big multi-sport event is the Island Games, which it is due to host two years later than planned in 2023 after this year's edition was postponed.

The islands of Alderney and Sark - part of the Guernsey team at the Commonwealth Games - compete independently and a separate Island Games Association is in charge of preparations.

"Guernsey does tend to take a big team to the Island Games, the last one was just under 300," said Stuart. "It does go to show that there are a lot of athletes on the island who can achieve that standard.

"But obviously we're all very aware that the Commonwealth Games is a huge step up and for those who are able to achieve it, they are very proud to wear the Guernsey shirt and compete. 

"It's an amazing multi-sport event. The friendships you make with fellow athletes, and the support of fellow athletes, outside of the competition, obviously, is amazing.

"When we're at the Games we report back daily so the media has first-hand information. Our local press, every day it's full of news.

"There's a lot of reporting, both the BBC and ITV television, so it's very widely covered locally."

Guernsey's team will be backed by four sponsors - with these organisations proving vital for costs such as travelling away from the island.

Athletes will be split across two sites in Birmingham after the decision by organisers not to proceed with a main Village.

Stuart will be Chef de Mission for the first time after serving as general team manager in 2010, 2014 and 2018, and as sport manager in 2006.

Cyclist Karina Jackson and shooter Peter Jory will take their experience as Commonwealth Games athletes into the governance side as general team managers in Birmingham, while a doctor, physio and sports therapist will also travel.

"We are well equipped to support the team and athletes when they are at the Games," said Stuart.

"How we differ as a small CGA, compared to a large CGA, is that we're all volunteers. 

"I went to Birmingham with Peter and the two of us attended the meetings, attended the sites, we attended the universities. 

"We got first hand knowledge of the bedrooms, where everybody will be living, the walking distances from various places...

"Other large teams obviously have a lot of support staff compared to a small CGA. It's the way it has to be, we just embrace it and enjoy it, and support the athletes the best we can.

"We wear many hats."

Guernsey enjoys local rivalry with fellow Channel Island Jersey, largely thanks to regular inter-island competitions.

Jersey's Commonwealth Games record of one gold and three bronze means Guernsey is currently slightly ahead on the all-time medal table.

"There is always going to be rivalry with the sister islands," said Stuart. "It's normal because we have the inter-insulars. There is competition there, there will be rivalry there.

"But at the Commonwealth Games, because it's so much larger and multi-sport, it's amazing how everyone does rally around when somebody needs something. 

"When they refer to the Commonwealth Games as the Friendly Games, that type of thing does happen. 

"For instance, if we only have one official per sport, and that official is ill or indisposed for any reason, everyone has to rally around. 

"The athletes usually know nothing of any concerns there may be, because we all just deal with it. And if we need to call upon a CGA within Europe, we're all familiar with each other and we wouldn't hesitate to call upon each other if we need assistance.

"It's great camaraderie." 

Isle of Man - May 2022

For a lot of people, thinking about the Isle of Man means thinking about bikes.

The island, lying in the Irish Sea between England and Ireland, is known for the world famous Isle of Man TT which sees motorcyclists zipping around public roads over the course of a frantic few days.

Away from motorbikes, the island also boasts a proud history on the humble pedal cycle.

Some of the world's best riders have been produced there, including Tour de France hero Mark Cavendish, one of the greatest road sprinters of all time, and Olympic gold medallist Peter Kennaugh.

This is a fine achievement for a place which is home to just 85,000 people.

"I think the island lends itself to cycling, it's undulating and quite tough out there," said Erica Bellhouse, the Isle of Man's Chef de Mission for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

"It produces quite tough riders.

"There's a really solid youth and junior system in place which is really good, and there's a definite element of the 'Cav factor'.

"He really broke through and did amazing things, and I think it's pulled a lot of people on. 

"They've seen him and think 'I used to ride with him on a Tuesday night at the NSC. We can all do this!' 

"That's been a big factor."

Cavendish has been named as part of the 32-strong squad which the British Crown Dependency will take to Birmingham 2022.

He is one of the Isle of Man's three Commonwealth Games champions, and the last to date, having won the scratch race title in the velodrome at Melbourne 2006.

At Rio 2016, Cavendish won an Olympic silver medal in the omnium, and he is a world champion on both road and track.

But it is his achievements at the Tour de France which have really stood him out from the crowd.

His 34 stage victories at cycling's most famous race is the joint all-time record alongside Eddy Merckx of Belgium, while he has won the green jersey for best sprinter twice, including last year.

He won the prestigious Champs-Élysées stage in Paris, the conclusion of the race, four times in a row from 2009.

"He's a hero on the Isle of Man, and rightly so," said Bellhouse, the secretary general of the island's Commonwealth Games Association.

"He was home at Easter and you get the 'rumbles' - 'I saw him out on the bike, he was here, he was there!'

"He's done amazing things and put the Isle of Man on the map."

Kennaugh, who won Olympic gold for Britain in the team pursuit at London 2012, attempted a memorable solo breakaway during the Glasgow 2014 road race before being reeled in.

In 2019 he announced an indefinite break from cycling, meaning he will not be in Birmingham, but this year's squad does include former world scratch champion Ben Swift.

Despite being born in England, Swift, the two-time and reigning British road race champion, has lived on the Isle of Man for more than 10 years.

Isle of Man will also compete in aquatics, athletics, badminton, boxing, gymnastics, Para-powerlifting and triathlon in Birmingham.

The only gymnast will be Tara Donnelly, the Isle of Man's sportswoman of the year.

The close proximity to the host city means there is the chance of plenty of travelling support in Manx colours.

"We're lucky that we had the likes of Mark Cavendish committed so early," said Bellhouse.  

"That will definitely attract attention. 

"As an almost 'home' Games it will attract a lot more people to perhaps pop over, there's the possibility of travelling to Birmingham. 

"For the road race, I expect a lot of Manx fans will travel over for that. 

"We've got a strong swimming contingent and I know there's a lot of them heading over to watch, athletics is the same. 

"It will capture the interest of the island." 

The Queen's Baton Relay will visit the Isle of Man in June, which will prove useful in building excitement as the Games are due to open shortly afterwards on July 28.

Alongside Cavendish, the other Commonwealth Games gold medallists from the Isle of Man are cyclist Peter Buckley, who won the road race in Kingston in 1966, and skeet shooter Nigel Kelly at Edinburgh 1986.

Shooting is another sport in which the island has been strong so, as with other teams, there was disappointment when it was omitted from the Birmingham 2022 programme.

"There's disappointed shooters," said Bellhouse. "We've got an established shooting structure in place. 

"But it's out of our hands, there's not a lot we can do about that." 

The coronavirus pandemic affected individual sports in the Isle of Man differently, Bellhouse said. Sports which will not be represented in Birmingham may have been able to send athletes under more normal circumstances.

"We had really tough border policies," Bellhouse said. 

"It meant we were a lot freer on the island, but it was a lot harder for people to leave. 

"We've seen a range of things that people did. 

"Some came home and knuckled down and just accepted it and trained on island, others, certainly some of the cyclists, pretty much spent a year in isolation for one reason or another. 

"They'd go away to race, come back and have to isolate. That must have been really tough. It's not been the easiest time for anybody." 

Away from the Commonwealth Games, the Isle of Man competes at the Island Games which provides a stepping stone through to the top level.

"Some sports use it very much as a development opportunity," said Bellhouse.

"Swimming, athletics and those type of sports will have used the Island Games to then hopefully go from there to the Commonwealth Games. 

"It's a fantastic opportunity for people to experience multi-sport Games. 

"It's every two years, so that brings with it more opportunities."

Bellhouse is serving as Chef de Mission for the first time and is happy to fulfil an athlete-centered role.

She was involved with the cycling competitions when the Isle of Man hosted the Commonwealth Youth Games in 2011, an event she said many people mentioned during the Birmingham 2022 site visits in March.

During that trip, Bellhouse was left impressed with preparations for the Games, where the Isle of Man team will be spread out across the three Athlete Villages.

"I've got a really good team around me," she said. "It will be a challenge but I'm looking forward to it.

"The theme of the Games is flexibility I think! 

"Everyone is going to have to be a bit more flexible than they expected, and the three Villages is going to bring challenges. 

"But given everything that's gone on, I think to have the Games, I think it's going to be fantastic. 

"The venues are all looking great. It looks all on track and the Organising Committee are doing an absolutely amazing job. 

"I do not relish their job as I'm sure they've had many, many challenges!"

Isle of Man came home from the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games with one silver medal, won by men's double trap shooter Tim Kneale.

They have won at least one medal at the Games since Manchester 2002, and will be hoping to keep that streak going in Birmingham.

"We should all be grateful that the Games are going to go ahead in July," said Bellhouse.

"It looks like, touch wood, there will be a fantastic Games. 

"That wasn't a given, even 12 months ago."  

Jersey - April 2022

Not every Commonwealth Games team can return home with a glut of medals, but the smaller delegations can celebrate success in other ways.

At Gold Coast 2018, Jersey caused a day one sensation at the lawn bowls by defeating the top seeds from hosts Australia.

The men's triples team of Derek Boswell, Malcolm De Sousa and Ross Davis defeated Aron Sherriff, Barrie Lester and Nathan Rice 21-18, causing mild bewilderment at Broadbeach Bowls Club.

"You can imagine how popular we were," said Jean Cross, Jersey's Chef de Mission in Gold Coast who will reprise the role for Birmingham 2022.

"On the front page of the paper they were saying how may gold medals we'd won, and how many Australia had won."

Jersey could compete in 10 sports in Birmingham, with the first 16 athletes selected in October in athletics, bowls, cycling, gymnastics, swimming and triathlon.

Four more in athletics and cycling were added this month, alongside a duo in table tennis.

Cross said that the team would be finalised in the first week of June, to give athletes the longest possible timeframe to reach the necessary standards before the Opening Ceremony on July 28.

"We are lastminute.com, deliberately," she said. 

"In a normal Games cycle we would have intended to announce the team six months ahead of the Games. 

"But with consultation with all our member sports, we agreed to vary the qualification period to allow the athletes as long as we can to achieve qualification.

"COVID stopped everything, so being on an island we were restricted in getting to competitions off island.

"We didn't feel it was appropriate to hold sports to the same deadlines.

"It puts us under pressure, but we were happy to do that as we felt it was the right thing to do for our athletes, particularly in summer sports where you've got a couple who are still hoping to compete. 

"We know they've got competitions in April, May time."

Jersey athletes to watch in Birmingham will include swimmer Harry Shalamon, who finished sixth in the 50 metres backstroke in Gold Coast.

He qualified for the final as the quickest non-Australian and has spent time in the United States.

Bowlers Boswell and De Sousa will both compete at their fourth Games, while Rhys Pilley is due to become only the second male track cyclist to represent Jersey.

In athletics, discus thrower Zane Duquemin has been picked for his fourth Games, while sibling Shadine Duquemin is due for a second appearance in the same discipline.

The table tennis pair includes Hannah Silcock, who has been named at just 14-years-old.

"We have a very defined pathway to allow progression," said Cross, a vice-president of the Commonwealth Games Association of Jersey.

"Each sport agrees validation criteria at the beginning of the quadrennial, so that's how we rate athletes. 

Because we have a limited number, we could be in a position where you have to select between a cyclist, a lawn bowler, a triathlete and a swimmer...

"So we have a validation committee who follow that process."

The Commonwealth Games is the most prestigious competition most athletes can compete at in Jersey colours.

Serena Guthrie, a netball player from Jersey, won a gold medal in Gold Coast but did so as part of the England team which dramatically claimed a last-gasp victory over Australia in the final.

"For most sports the Commonwealth Games is the highest ranked competition that they can compete at under the Jersey flag," said Cross. "We're not part of the Olympic Movement. 

"Whatever your expectation of the Commonwealth Games, when you actually experience it, it will always exceed your expectations.

"It's a really important event in the Jersey sporting calendar and to walk into the Opening Ceremony, as part of that Jersey delegation, is just such a huge honour.

"Our role is to make sure we take care of any worries, so all the athletes have to do is focus on themselves and their performance. 

"Because that's what it's all about."

Cross said she was left impressed after joining other Chef de Missions at the Birmingham 2022 open day meetings last month.

The team's athletes will be split up as the Games will be using multiple Villages instead of just one.

"We don't count as a small nation, we're actually a medium sized nation," Cross said. 

"Our delegation is about 55.

"We always generate a good team spirit and a very supportive atmosphere for our athletes. 

"It took some getting around the idea that we wouldn't all be in one Village. 

"But having seen the distances involved, we totally understand why sports are placed in the different places. 

"I can't make a boxer go for their weigh-in at half six in the morning, and tell them they have to do an hour's coach drive to get there."

Jersey has won a single gold medal in its Commonwealth Games history - claimed by Colin Mallett in the full bore rifle at Auckland 1990.

Channel Island neighbours Guernsey also won the only gold in their history in shooting in the New Zealand city, with both teams disappointed that the sport is not on the Birmingham programme.

"There's always rivalry between Jersey and Guernsey!" said Cross. "At any level of competition.

"Whether you are talking about an individual, Island Games or Commonwealth Games, across all sports.

"There's always a very healthy rivalry."

The Island Games provides an opportunity for both Jersey and Guernsey to select much bigger squads.

Guernsey will host the next edition in 2023, after Jersey staged the event in 1997 and 2015.

"It is different when you live on an island in a smaller community," Cross said.

"The Island Games is a fantastic event, the team spirit is amazing.

"From Jersey, when you're looking at a team size of up to 300, it's a totally different experience to the Commonwealth Games, and it's every two years.

"It's a real asset to any sporting calendar and it gives you something to aim for. Two years doesn't seem that far away."

Cross, a former Island Games badminton player, helped to organsise the sport at the edition in 2015.

"There are very special memories of Jersey winning the team gold on the Monday night," she said. 

"If you ask anyone who was involved, Monday night at the badminton hall was a very special evening!

"Hosting a Games does great things for local sport. Anyone going to see good sport, it's inspiring. 

"To see children experience an Island Games, they will want to be involved when they're at an age when they can."

Jersey has recently played host to the British and Irish Lions and England rugby teams, while there was talk of a bid for the 2021 Commonwealth Youth Games which was eventually postponed due to COVID.

The Inspiring Active Jersey strategy, implemented by Jersey Sport, has goals including getting more people active.

Cross said the legacy plans for Birmingham 2022's key venues is something that deserves particular praise.

"Obviously we've still got a long way to go, but it was lovely to see some of the venues and the legacy some of these venues are going to leave, particularly the swimming pool at Sandwell," she said.

"When they talked us through the legacy of the building, and what it will leave for the community, it was very, very impressive.

"Walking into there and then walking up to the Alexander Stadium...

"It was a real 'wow' moment."

Malta - November 2021

For Charlene Attard, Malta's Chef de Mission for Birmingham 2022, next year's Commonwealth Games cannot come soon enough.

After COVID-19 brought the world to its knees, the event in the English city is looking set to go ahead at full capacity and with supporters in the stands - a far cry from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. 

"I think the world needs it, we need to get back into these things," Attard, an Olympic athlete, told insidethegames. 

"We're so tired of living in question marks, because that's how we're living. The whole world is, some countries more than others. 

"Sport is always a way to reach people and give hope. It's like bringing something back, something positive."

Malta's team for Birmingham currently contains 23 athletes but this could increase if more qualify.

The Mediterranean country is aiming to compete in athletics, swimming, badminton, lawn bowls and squash - while there is also the chance of appearing in gymnastics, judo, weightlifting, wrestling and women's 3x3 basketball.

Another goal is that one Para-athlete will compete in track and field.

"Training is full blast, there are many who are aiming to qualify for Birmingham," said Attard. 

"It motivates them that after a year-and-a-half when no-one knew what was really happening, that next year we have the Commonwealth Games and other Games we can take part in. 

"Thank god they are motivated to represent Malta and compete. It's positive."

Maltese hopes for the Games include lawn bowls after a family affair led the country to bronze in the women's fours at Gold Coast 2018.

Rosemarie Rixon and her daughters Connie-Leigh and Rebecca were all part of the team, alongside Sharon Callus.

The quartet were all born in Australia and Connie-Leigh and Rebecca are said to have sworn their mother to secrecy when they excelled in the sport growing up - at the risk of appearing uncool.

Runner Jordan Gusman, who races between 1500 metres and 10,000m, is another to watch, alongside long jumper Jeremy Zammit who perfectly sums up the difficulty athletes will face next year with the packed sporting calendar.

"He's second for under-18s in the world, but I don't know if he will make it [to Birmingham]," said Attard.

"In the same week it's the World Junior Championships. It's very hard to win in Birmingham as it's an open event, there will be athletes there who can jump over eight metres. 

"We are still discussing with his coach and waiting for next year to start to work out his programme. 

"It's not that he's out or he's in, it's a question mark. Because there's the other competition which is very prestigious as well." 

Malta claimed one other bronze medal in Gold Coast - thanks to Brian Galea in the men's trap shooting.

The country has won one silver and five bronzes in its Commonwealth Games history, with the Gold Coast double the first Maltese medals since a second and a third place finish in Melbourne in 2006.

Both of these medals also came in shooting - which means the decision to drop the sport from the Birmingham 2022 programme is felt keenly. 

"For us it makes a big difference because when you have very few athletes who can make it, and that sport is chucked out, it hits hard," said Attard.

"At the last edition we got a bronze and two fourth places. It's one of our best sports and has potential for so many youngsters coming up. 

"It would have been a big experience for them because there are other big Games in the years to come."

Malta has already welcomed the Queen's Baton Relay and was the third country to do so after its launch at Buckingham Palace in October.

President George Vella attended alongside athletes including Zammit, and three "game changers" were appointed to promote Birmingham 2022 and the Relay.

It was a positive moment for sport in Malta, the host of the 2023 Games of the Small States of Europe, after the shutdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We had some restrictions and for a few months everything was closed," Attard said.

"Some of the national team then started training but the gap increased between the national team and not being a part of the national team. 

"Our national athletes had to leave to compete and come back to train. We are an island, and flights are very expensive, and all the hassle as well to travel...

"Now we're back to normal, sports are open and people are training and are more motivated."

Attard competed in the 100m at the Beijing 2008 Olympics, appearing in the same heat as Jamaica's eventual silver medallist Kerron Stewart.

She is now an Executive Board member with the Maltese Olympic Committee, and the chair of its Athletes' Commission and Olympians' Commission.

Birmingham 2022 will be her first Commonwealth Games as Chef de Mission after she previously performed the role at two editions of the European Youth Olympic Festival.

"I know the Commonwealths are not just about winning medals, this is very important but it's not just about that," said Attard, who also works as a teacher. 

"The Commonwealth has other aspects which is beautiful, like the youth changemakers projects and so on. 

"There are so many nice areas and humanitarian aspects of the Commonwealth which the Games represent, like including the Para-athletes and the able-bodied together. 

"It's different from the other Games that exist. 

"The athletes do look forward to it as it's very big and a high level. It's an honour competing in them, and it's an honour to get to the next round or win a medal. 

"I think COVID will still be around, but I am sure they will take all precautions and all our athletes will follow them. 

"We need something now. We need to start living again." 

Northern Ireland - November 2021

Alison Moffitt-Robinson will be the first female Chef de Mission in Northern Ireland's Commonwealth Games history, but wants to make sure other women follow in her footsteps.

The former javelin thrower will oversee an expected team of around 100 athletes at Birmingham 2022 next year, where there will be high hopes for a strong performance.

There is no other chance to compete for Northern Ireland at a multi-sport event than the Commonwealth Games, with athletes normally performing in British or Irish colours.

"It was a massively proud moment to be appointed," said Moffitt-Robinson to insidethegames. 

"It's great to be the first female but it's probably most important that I'm not the last. 

"I want to make sure I support the team to the best of my ability, and hopefully in doing so I can encourage others to follow suit, to step out of their comfort zone a little bit and challenge themselves.

"Whether that's in a Chef de Mission type role or whatever role that might be within sport - step up and do the best you can. 

"I'm enjoying the challenge." 

Moffitt-Robinson won the national title in javelin 13 times, as well as holding the national record.

She has enjoyed a long association with the Commonwealth Games, working at six editions including three as general manager.

Her first taste came at Kuala Lumpur 1998 after she missed out on the team which travelled to Malaysia's capital.

"I failed to qualify that year but I was working in sport already and I got the opportunity to come on board as one of the administrators in the headquarters team," she said.

"That was my first introduction to the Commonwealth Games.

"Birmingham is definitely front and centre in our planning.

"The Commonwealth Games is obviously a unique opportunity for us and most of our sports to actually represent Northern Ireland.

"It's a great opportunity to compete and put yourself against the best out there across the Commonwealth, and in so many of the sports there really are world leading performances. 

"That's great for our home athletes to be in there and to be competitive.

"We are pushing to try and increase our medal tally and increase our top eight performances. 

"We hope that everyone who goes as part of our team will be able to demonstrate their capacity to deliver good performances come Games time."

There will be plenty of sport for Northern Irish fans to get their teeth into next year, with the women's football team booking their place at Euro 2022.

This will be their first appearance at a major tournament, with the event taking place in England and slightly overlapping with the start of Birmingham 2022.

Northern Ireland has well documented political divides but it is hoped sport can act as a unifier.  

"I think sport in Northern Ireland can always be something that brings people together, it can also be quite divisive at times," Moffitt-Robinson said. 

"I'm hoping we'll have a really positive summer of sport next year, there's a massive number of events coming up over July and August. 

"The Northern Ireland women's football team have qualified for the European Championships, so I'm hoping the public will get behind them and continue their support onto us. 

"We'll be working to build the profile of the players and the sports in the lead-up to the Games to try and ensure that happens. 

"Obviously, people will follow their own sports as well, and those they are associated with. But I hope they will be able to get behind Team NI and give us that extra boost." 

It is hoped Northern Ireland will be able to keep a "one team" ethos in Birmingham, despite the decision to abandon the Athletes' Village and split delegations up across three different sites.

"The multi-sport aspect is special," Moffitt-Robinson said. "We're very keen to ensure that multi-sport and the value that brings isn't lost. 

"There are teams within teams, and everyone working together for the success of Team NI. A multitude of sports within that team is a fantastic opportunity.

"Every Games is unique anyway, and this one will be no different, it will have unique challenges. 

"We'll be split across the Birmingham and West Midlands area and we'll also have a group in London at the track cycling.

"It is a challenge, it does stretch our resources. But, if anything, the last year-and-a-half has taught us to be more resilient and more resourceful, and we're doing our best to manage the situation that is in front of us. 

"I think the plans we currently have in place are going to manage that well."

Northern Ireland will benefit from its close proximity to Birmingham, which allows the possibility of a larger support network and more family and friends in the stands.

Athletes are set to include gymnast Rhys McClenaghan, who won the team's only title at Gold Coast 2018 when he shocked England's Olympic champion Max Whitlock on the pommel horse. 

In the ring, boxing siblings Michaela and Aidan Walsh will be among those to watch, with the latter winning welterweight bronze at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Track cyclist Mark Downey won a bronze medal in the points race at the 2019 World Championships, with NI team members looking to follow in the footsteps of greats including pentathlete Lady Mary Peters, a triple Commonwealth Games gold medallist.

The netball team is on track to qualify, and athletes have been boosted by a kit deal with Nike.

"It's important that our top level athletes do travel and do participate within the Games, that means an awful lot to us," Moffitt-Robinson said.

"Those who have had Olympic success and previous Commonwealth Games success will be back for maybe a second or third Games with us. We obviously rely on them to perform at their very best. 

"Nothing is guaranteed in sporting life so everyone has to continue to work hard and prepare the best they can, and come out fighting at the Games.

"We traditionally have areas where we've been stronger and bringing medals home. 

"And we hope they will continue to do that, but we're also investing well in the preparation of all our sports to try and ensure that our spread of success is greater than it has been in the past. 

"So we get more medals and more top eight positions coming back from a greater number of sports, rather than maybe the few sports people would traditionally associate us with."

Moffitt-Robinson described McClenaghan's gold, Northern Ireland's first in gymnastics, as a "fabulous achievement". But there is no medal target yet for Birmingham after a total haul of 12 in Gold Coast.

"For everything to come together in that moment, that's what makes it really special," she said.

"Any success is worth celebrating and gold medals especially are worth celebrating.

"We haven't stipulated a medal target as our team size is different from where we've been previously, it's hard to work that out.

"It's not a straightforward science. But we're keen to push on with performance levels and for the sports to know exactly what they will be trying to achieve, and the athletes likewise, so they have goals that are specific."

Changes introduced by the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), such as limiting compulsory sports in the future to just athletics and swimming, will be watched closely in Northern Ireland.

The introduction of more team sports, for instance, in which Northern Ireland does not compete, would have an impact if it leads to a reduction in individual places.

It is also hoped there will be the chance to bounce back from the disappointment of being stripped of the hosting rights for the 2021 Commonwealth Youth Games.

Belfast was due to stage the event but the CGF pulled the plug in 2018 after no funding guarantees were made, following the collapse of a power-sharing coalition.

The Northern Ireland Commonwealth Games Council described the situation as "a slap in the face" for young people, with the Games eventually reallocated to Trinidad and Tobago.

However, the event was postponed amid the COVID-19 pandemic and has not yet been rearranged.

"We were massively disappointed that it didn't happen at the time," said Moffitt-Robinson. 

"But hindsight is a wonderful thing and if you look at what has happened in the world since, it would have proved to be a very challenging year for us. 

"It would have been a fantastic Games here in Belfast, I think we'd be very able and willing to host, particularly Youth Games, in the future. 

"And who knows with the senior Games, where the new format will lead with that? I'll leave that to some of the others to deal with going forward! 

"For the young people of the province to have had a Youth Games within Northern Ireland would have been a fantastic opportunity for them and a real inspiration for them going forward on their performance pathways. 

"We'll continue to support Youth Games as and when they are brought back into the calendar and hope that future opportunities may come our way."

Northern Ireland visited Birmingham this month as part of their preparations and are happy with how things are progressing in times which remain uncertain.

"Full credit to the Birmingham organisers and the CGF," Moffitt-Robinson said.

"At any time to plan a Games is difficult enough, but to do it in the mouth of a pandemic, the challenges are massive. 

"They are listening to us in relation to what the teams require and are certainly doing what they can to meet the varying demands. 

"They will be a very different Games but I think they will be a very successful Games where the performance of our NI team is concerned." 

Scotland - May 2022

Scotland did not need to work hard to convince its top stars to compete at Birmingham 2022.

The Commonwealth Games is the only multi-sport event where the country's athletes take part in their national colours, and as such it comes attached with a huge amount of pride.

"We haven't had to convince any of them," said Elinor Middlemiss, Scotland's Birmingham 2022 Chef de Mission.

"We get great commitment from our athletes. 

"Despite a crowded calendar, there's a real will and a want to compete for Scotland and win medals for Scotland at the Commonwealth Games. 

"It's obviously something we're really proud of and we're really delighted that all our multi-Olympic, Commonwealth and world champions are all incredibly keen to represent Scotland at the Games."

Big name athletes committed to the Scottish team at an early stage, with Tokyo 2020 Olympic swimming champions signing-up in December.

Duncan Scott made history in Japan, as the four medals he returned home with was the most won by a British athlete at a single Olympics.

He won gold as part of the men's 4x200 metres relay line-up, and is no stranger to the Commonwealth Games.

At Gold Coast 2018, Scott won six medals, including the gold in the 100m freestyle.

Kathleen Dawson was part of the British team in Tokyo which won the 4x100m mixed medley relay in a world record time, and has been named in the Commonwealth Games squad for the third time.

In October, Scotland named Tokyo 2020 Olympians Laura Muir, Josh Kerr, Jake Wightman, Eilish McColgan, Jemma Reekie and Andy Butchart to its athletics team.

Muir won silver in Japan over 1500 metres, and is set for a Commonwealth Games return after missing Gold Coast 2018 to focus on her veterinary exams.

Kerr also won a medal over 1500m in Tokyo, taking bronze.

"Having them on early was fantastic," said Middlemiss.

"They've all committed and accepted their early pre-selection for the Commonwealth Games.

"So we're delighted and obviously they are huge role models for the rest of the team as well."

Scotland's team size for Birmingham looks set to be around the 220 mark.

Numbers have been boosted following qualification in men's and women's rugby sevens, men's and women's hockey and netball.

Middlemiss, a badminton player, competed in five Commonwealth Games for Scotland so knows what it means to represent the country at the top level.

She won two bronze medals - in the women's doubles alongside Sandra Watt at Kuala Lumpur 1998 and then in the mixed team at Manchester 2002.

These quite rightly take pride of place at home.

"I started in '86 as a youngster and that was just incredible to have that experience when you're that young, in Edinburgh, my hometown as well," she said.

"So that has a lot of really fond memories.

"It was a lot later when I was able to win my first medal, which was '98 out in Malaysia. 

"That was incredible as badminton is obviously one of their national sports. So the size of the stadium and the crowd was just much more raucous than it would have been in other countries."

Middlemiss was the deputy Chef de Mission for Scotland at their home Glasgow 2014 Games, as well as at Gold Coast 2018.

No woman has held the top Chef de Mission job for the country before.

"It's fantastic to be the first woman," she said.

"To come from an athlete side, to progress to the professional side and become Chef de Mission, it's certainly an honour. 

"I've had the opportunity to work with some really experienced people over the years. 

"I've had my two deputy roles to gain the experience needed to lead the team as a Chef. 

"Because I'm employed full time by Commonwealth Games Scotland, the Chef role sits on top of that and it gives me lots of opportunity to be totally embedded in all the planning and processes and protocols. 

"It sets me in really good stead to lead the team in Birmingham."

The home Games in Glasgow has left a fantastic legacy, Middlemiss believes.

"Apart from the legacy with the Village giving housing within the Glasgow footprint, or the facilities that were built like the Emirates [Arena] and the velodrome, there was also lots of infrastructure road-wise that made a huge, huge difference to the host city," she said. 

"It also had a wider impact on sport participation across Scotland and interest in clubs. 

"So it had a huge amount of legacy benefit. 

"Also, for the actual athletes who were in the team at the time, for them to perform in front of a home crowd was fantastic for them. 

"I'm sure they won't forget it."

Although Birmingham 2022 is not a home Games for Scotland, crossing the border to England means it will be the closest thing.

"A home Games brings challenges but opportunities as well," Middlemiss said. 

"We've lived through Glasgow which was exceptional, so having another one so close in the UK is excellent. 

"It gives an opportunity for bigger travelling support from Scotland. 

"We know we're going to sold out venues and it will be fantastic to have that crowd back. They will have the support of their friends and family who will travel. 

"The other side of it is being familiar with the conditions and a number of the venues. 

"I think that's a real advantage of a UK-based Games."

Scottish Commonwealth Games stars include lawn bowler Alex Marshall, who won his fifth gold medal in Gold Coast.

Sprinter Allan Wells, the Olympic 100m champion at Moscow 1980, has topped the podium four times, and diver Peter Heatly won gold at three consecutive Games between 1950 and 1958.

Cyclist Sir Chris Hoy, a six-time Olympic champion, won two Commonwealth golds during his career.

The biggest hero for home Scottish crowds at Edinburgh 1986 was Liz Lynch - later world champion and Olympic silver medallist Liz McColgan - who was unemployed and on the dole when she won the 10,000m by a wide margin.

Her daughter Eilish will be hoping for success of her own in Birmingham.

Like every other team, Scotland has had to factor the COVID-19 pandemic into its planning for this year's Games.

"It's impacted everybody's daily life as well as their sporting life," said Middlemiss.  

"We've got some real experts who have been helping us with the planning and the protocols. 

"We're working on that at the moment, to make sure that we get the strongest team to the Games, least impacted by COVID. 

"We're monitoring the situation for the summer and preparing for all the challenges. 

"With the talented group of staff we've got and some of the experts in our team, we're looking at the COVID conditions and how to help the athletes get to the Games in the best possible shape, and operate within a COVID restricted Games if that's where we are in the summer." 

Middlemiss attended the Birmingham 2022 site visits in March, with the team set to be split up across the three Villages at the University of Birmingham, NEC and the University of Warwick.

"Birmingham gave some really good presentations, some really good information," she said. 

"There were some real quality venue visits as well. 

"I certainly came away reassured that they were on track and were looking to, obviously deliver in a different model, but deliver successfully. 

"I'm anticipating a successful Games.

"We'll be across all the Villages with the sports we're participating in. Our planning is reflecting that. 

"We've got to adapt, we've got to compromise. 

"It's just about getting the messaging out to everybody, so the athletes and the staff are ready to deal with the situation, so they can still perform at their best." 

Wales - November 2021

Birmingham 2022 will not be a home Commonwealth Games for Wales, but it won't be far off.

The host city is around 60 miles from the Welsh border, and if you put your foot down you can make it across in just over an hour.

For Nicola Phillips, the Wales Chef de Mission, this brings both positives and negatives.

"This is about as close to a home Games as we can get, just over the border," she tells insidethegames.

"It does come with its advantages, certainly with the operational aspect of things and the support we're able to put in place. 

"We don't have to factor in flights and expensive accommodation. We can bring additional staff in on day passes, and we can do that much more easily. 

"Travel is easy, and we can exchange accreditations for support staff to really maximise the support we can give each sport, for the period of time that they might be in the Village. In that way it's an advantage to be closer."

The downside is that the pressures and distractions of home are also just down the road, a far cry from Gold Coast 2018 when the team was cocooned thousands of miles away.

"More people want to come and see the sports, which can be distracting for the athletes and the support staff," Phillips said. 

"They are managing home and managing other things, because home is so much closer. 

"There's more interest from local media, so it's managing that so we allow the athletes to have that exposure, and to put their sport in the frontline when perhaps they don't get the spotlight at other times. 

"But at the same time managing it so this doesn't become a distraction to the athletes. There are different challenges I would say."

Wales enjoyed their record Commonwealth Games performance in Gold Coast, when Phillips was also Chef de Mission.

Like other big teams, the country is hoping its major stars will choose to compete in Birmingham amid a packed 2022 sporting calendar.

Boxer Lauren Price won middleweight gold at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and featured in London at the launch of the Queen's Baton Relay.

But with the Gold Coast title and World Championship gold also on her CV, there is talk of the 27-year-old turning professional.

Matt Richards and Calum Jarvis made history in the pool in Tokyo, becoming the first Welsh swimmers to win Olympic gold in more than a century after featuring in Britain's winning 4x200 metres freestyle relay team. Richards, aged just 18, became the youngest Welsh Olympic champion.

Track cyclist Elinor Barker won team pursuit silver in Tokyo, adding to her Rio 2016 gold and points race title from Gold Coast, while on the road it will be interesting to see if 2018 Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas will race in Birmingham.

Wales will hope that the rare chance of representing the country at a multi-sport event will persuade athletes to wear their colours, and the squad will certainly be a proud one.

Thomas, a double Olympic champion, demonstrated this perfectly when he won road race gold at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, just seven days after that year's Tour de France had finished.

"I think the ones [top athletes] that are able, and are fit and training, we really hope that they would [compete at Birmingham]," said Phillips.

"We don't know exactly yet. Some of that will depend on schedules and what happens between now and then. 

"What we do know is that consistently we get the country's top athletes, as they love competing for Wales. They are also really proud to compete for Team GB. But if they are able, they always seem to want to also compete for Team Wales.

"Geraint Thomas was a great example of that in Glasgow. He came straight off the Tour and won a gold medal in the road race. 

"That was just days after the Tour but he wanted to do that. And we see the same with the other athletes. We really hope that somebody like Lauren Price would want to compete for us as well. I think the motivation is there, it's usually around the practicalities, whether they can or not.

"Some of the endurance events, the schedule is going to change the availability of those athletes. But we will work around that and I'm sure the athletes, if they are available, then they'll want to compete for Wales.

"It is about putting on that Welsh vest. There's just something nice about doing that for your home nation. I think Wales has that sort of reputation." 

Wales sent 213 athletes to Gold Coast, winning 10 golds in a total haul of 36 medals.

Phillips, a Professor at Cardiff University and an internationally renowned physiotherapist, said they are expecting a similar team size in Birmingham, across most of the sports on the programme.

There will be no specific targets for the Welsh performance, however.

"We didn't set a formal medal target for Gold Coast," Phillips said. "What we said to everybody was 'go in there and do your personal best'. 

"And if they do that, and we have some excellent athletes, some very capable athletes, if they all go in and perform to their capacity, then some of those medals will fall into place. And that's certainly what happened in Gold Coast. 

"COVID changes everything completely as there are so many unknowns now. There have been fewer competitions so our ability to predict who is doing what just isn't there in the same way." 

Wales has launched a campaign called "Summit of our Aspirations", complete with a poem called Rise by Eurig Salisbury, to build excitement for Birmingham.

Like in other countries, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted preparations with many meetings and gatherings taking place virtually.

"We have to be creative as one of the important parts is keeping a 'one team' approach," said Phillips, a Board member of Commonwealth Games Wales who was head of Britain's preparation camp for Tokyo 2020.

"And you can't beat face-to-face for that. It's how we combine that ability to train in a modified environment, and how we make sure we get everybody trying to interact with each other before they end up in Birmingham.

"Athletes are incredibly resilient, they will find a way, they are motivated to do the best they can. 

"Some of the solutions that some of the individuals and sports have come up with have been great."

Birmingham 2022 has also needed to adapt to COVID challenges, with the Athletes' Village now due to be split up across three different sites as a cost cutting measure.

"There's a really good feel from the Organising Committee and their communications with us," Phillips said. 

"They have been incredibly creative in how they've come up with solutions for the difficulties they've hit, in what they've been allowed to do. 

"In that way I think it will be really interesting."

In October, the Commonwealth Games Federation announced that their event would become more flexible, with athletics and swimming the only compulsory sports.

There is also the possibility of spreading the Games around in different cities and countries, with the changes designed to counteract the current situation which sees no 2026 host in place.

"The different structure provides some different challenges, such as the Villages being split up," said Phillips. "The positives from that is that it could change the way the Games work in the future, which could actually allow more countries to put bids in. 

"It makes it perhaps more feasible for some of the smaller countries that have been put off previously. 

"I think the Commonwealth will be watching to see how that works. Birmingham has got this tradition of welcoming a diversity of people, and that is certainly shining through at the moment. 

"We're really looking forward to going up there. I think it will be a good Games, celebrating being back together as a Commonwealth again."

Could the new rules see the Games return to Wales for the first time since Cardiff in 1958?

"I think it would be lovely, wouldn't it?" Phillips said. "Who knows? 

"With the structure changing, that may well open the doors for a country of our size to be able to do that. 

"We'll have to wait and see, but wouldn't it be wonderful? There are lots of different opportunities, the difference in the choice of sports could be useful and we've got some world-class facilities in Wales.

"Let's see what happens in the future. I suspect I may well have retired by then, but I will still be an avid supporter if it did come to Wales." 

Botswana - May 2022

At the 2017 World Athletics Championships, Botswana's Isaac Makwala was forced to run a solo 200 metres in front of a packed crowd at a wet London Stadium.

The surreal sight came after officials had banned the medal contender from competing in both the 200m heats and the 400m final, as he supposedly had norovirus.

Makwala was considered the main threat to South Africa's world record holder Wayde van Niekerk in the 400m, but was led away by security as he turned up for the final.

Although it was too late in that event, Makwala was eventually freed from a period of quarantine and allowed to race a 200m heat on his own.

He needed to finish in under 20.53 seconds to reach the semi-finals and duly did so, clocking 20.20 before performing press-ups at the finish line to prove he was in fine health.

Remarkably, Makwala clocked an even quicker time of 20.14 in his semi-final which took place only two hours later.

Although the final, where he finished sixth, proved a step too far, Makwala had handled the situation perfectly.

His strength of character has inspired other athletes and is still in the memory of Botswana's Chef de Mission for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, Yarona Sharp.

"That's the type of team that we are putting together," said Sharp, a Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC) Executive Board member.

"One that can reinvent itself when circumstances just don't go the way that were planned. 

"I hope I bring home a lot of success."

Botswana has enjoyed superb results in the 400m and has established itself as a world-leading nation over one lap of the track.

Makwala triumphed at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games - leading home a 1-2 for his nation in front of Baboloki Thebe.

Both men were then part of the team which topped the podium in the 4x400m relay, alongside Leaname Maotoanong and Onkabetse Nkobolo.

Not content with that, Botswana also won the women's 400m as the now retired Amantle Montsho, the world champion in 2011, came home for gold.

She then won bronze in the 4x400m relay, and running has also provided Botswana with both of its Olympic medals.

Nijel Amos, who is still competing, won the first with silver in the 800m at London 2012.

At Tokyo 2020 last year, Makwala and Thebe stood on an Olympic podium after bagging 4x400m bronze with Zibane Ngozi and Bayapo Ndori.

"Speaking for myself as a citizen, as a Motswana, our performance at the Gold Coast Games was nothing short of amazing," said Sharp.

"We are a small population and in comparison to other nations per capita, we fare with the top countries.

"The Gold Coast Games gave us a lot of pride. And it just cemented that we have talent in the country.

"When something like that happens, it validates that you need to continue, and to remain dedicated and committed, to grow sport in Botswana." 

Relay success means that Botswana clearly has strength in depth in its running ranks.

"I think for us, as a citizen, we start running at a young age and just nurture that into professional competition," said Sharp, a former international basketball player.

Botswana is sending 26 athletes to Birmingham 2022, with boxing, cycling, judo, swimming, squash and weightlifting joining athletics.

The team will be a combination of experienced athletes and those who are looking to break through. 

"For any Games, major or not, we get stuck to our television sets," said Sharp.

"Botswana has had its biggest success at any major Games at the Commonwealth Games. 

"It affords other sporting codes and athletes the opportunity to compete at major events. 

"We have other sport codes, that ordinarily wouldn't compete at the Olympics, being given an opportunity to do so. 

"It broadens our pool of elite competition opportunities, which is positive." 

Sharp will be serving as Chef de Mission for the first time after being elected for a second four-year term with BNOC last year.

"It's a nerve-wracking and exciting role," she said. 

"You've literally been given the opportunity to take responsibility of perhaps among the biggest assets of the country, which are our athletes. 

"The truth is, the Chef de Mission is nothing without the athletes and that's who I look forward to prioritise. 

"I look forward also to creating the environment for optimal performance. 

"Our aim is we are putting together a very competitive team, that is versatile and is adaptable." 

In 2021, four of the seven electable seats on the BNOC Executive Board went to women - a rare situation in sports governance where men normally dominate.

Sharp, an attorney who earned a law degree in Johannesburg, said she remembers her basketball career for Botswana fondly.

"It was out of this world, I enjoyed it," she said.

"I started at under-18 and I went up the ranks. 

"I did under-20 and the senior national team as well. I competed a lot regionally wearing our national colours.

"When I started I played point guard, I was quite fast on my feet. It's a game of skill and speed as my coaches would say! 

"I grew taller than most people so they used to place me as a small forward. When there were other forwards who were taller than me in the team, I used to play as a guard." 

Botswana has won five gold medals in its Commonwealth Games history, with the three secured in Gold Coast their best ever performance.

The country first competed in Christchurch in 1974 and has been ever-present since, with the exception of the Edmonton 1978 Games.

As with other nations, Botswana is beginning to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic.

"When COVID hit and nobody knew what we were dealing with, the impact was felt," said Sharp.

"We had to halt all kinds of sport events. 

"The Government priorotised national health and a lot of sporting activities were put to the back burner, and understandably so. 

"We used to see some of our athletes train from home, so the impact of COVID was felt in that way. 

"There has been a relaxation and we've had the opportunity for our team to have local and international training camps. 

"Some are scheduled between now and July."

Botswana's athletes are due to attend a training camp in Cardiff between July 11 and 26, before the Birmingham 2022 Opening Ceremony on July 28.

"We have a tradition nationally to go in and just get used to the environment," said Sharp, who added that the team would be escaping the "cold" of Botswana's winter come Games time.

Sharp attended the open day site visits in Birmingham in March.

"The level of preparation is impressive," she said. 

"Obviously England has COVID protocols which are more relaxed, but protocols are still an important measure of the Games. 

"There will be endless tests, both rapid and PCR. There was an assurance that if someone has COVID the protocols will be followed.

"Outside of that we cannot wait. 

"I can't wait to see the transformation of the schools [Villages] in terms of set-up, the whole place is going to transform. 

"The technical and organising teams seem to be on top of the world about it. 

"You can tell it's going to be a very electric experience in Birmingham, and I'm confident the Games will be a resounding success." 

Cameroon - March 2022

There are not many Commonwealth Games countries where French is the first language.

Step forward Cameroon - the West African nation which gained independence from France in 1960 and went on to join the Commonwealth of Nations in 1995.

Cameroon proves that not everybody at the Commonwealth Games has strong past links to the British Empire.

But that does not mean that the country feels any less part of the group of nations which will gather this year at Birmingham 2022.

"In Cameroon we value the Commonwealth Games second to the Olympic Games," said Ayuk Lawrence Ayuketang, the country's Birmingham Chef de Mission, to insidethegames.

"It's a very important Games and there are many stakeholders who work with a lot of energy to make sure Team Cameroon is given the best preparation.

"Ever since Cameroon was admitted into the Commonwealth of Nations it has always done its best in respecting the roadmap of the Commonwealth, both the administrative section and the sporting section.

"We have taken part in all of the Commonwealth Games [since joining] and every year Cameroon celebrates Commonwealth Week and Commonwealth Day."

Commonwealth Week is currently in progress and is lasting slightly longer than just seven days.

"We started on February 28 and are ending on March 14 [Commonwealth Day] so it's almost close to a month," said Ayuketang. 

"It shows the degree of respect and involvement that Cameroon has with the Commonwealth of Nations.

"Many activities have been put in place. People are taught 'what are the objectives of the Commonwealth?' and 'what can the Commonwealth offer Cameroon?' - all of those things. 

"It is a continuous process and a continuous sensitisation of the population. 

"As the years go by, there is better knowledgeability about the Commonwealth in the entire nation." 

Cameroon's Commonwealth affiliation is perhaps best summed up by the attempts to promote cricket - the quintessentially English sport.

A match will take place at the end of Commonwealth Week after the sport was first introduced to the country by a Commonwealth Students and Youth Development Organisation scheme.

Female players are a big part of the sport's push, which is fitting as a women's T20 tournament will return cricket to the Commonwealth Games programme for the first time since 1998 in Birmingham.

"Cricket is a new sport but we have so much love for it," Ayuketang said.

"I am one of the first group of cricket coaches who has been trained in Cameroon. 

"The young girls and boys who are involved in cricket have fallen in love with the game and they will not spend a week without thinking of playing. 

"The President [of the Cricket Federation] is very dynamic and has made sure that schools all over Cameroon are getting involved. 

"Cricket is gaining ground in Cameroon and the only difficulty we have is infrastructure. 

"If Cameroon is able to have an oval, just one oval, it would blossom the participation. The other countries keep encouraging us. 

"In a dominantly French speaking country the terminology in cricket is a big challenge." 

At Birmingham 2022, Cameroon is hoping to take around 50 athletes in athletics, Para-athletics, badminton, boxing, judo, swimming, weightlifting, wrestling and powerlifting.

The physical sports will be given particular focus and they have traditionally been very kind to Cameroon.

At the Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games, on just their second appearance, the country returned home with nine gold medals, all in weightlifting.

They have only claimed one more title since then, and also have 10 silver medals and 14 bronzes in their total haul.

"Cameroon is a country blessed with naturally powerful boys and girls," said Ayuketang. 

"You can see that from our performance in weightlifting.

"There are some disciplines where a lot of effort is put. 

"If you have children in the family there are some who you pay more attention to, you cannot explain why! 

"There are some disciplines that have caught the attention of the Olympic Committee and we are looking forward to those.

"Judo has very hard working athletes and the coaches are really doing their best. 

"Powerlifting, wrestling, weightlifting - these four disciplines we are looking forward to having our best results. 

"We have some athletes in these disciplines that we have so much hope on them. 

"But it's too early to announce that we have 'this person or this person'. 

"We're human beings and no-one knows how the state or the form of the athlete will be in the next two or three months. 

"For the Commonwealth Games, we still have a good way to go in terms of athlete preparation, in terms of form, and in terms of their overall expectant performance."

Ayuketang, from the "English" part of Cameroon, is serving as Chef de Mission for the first time.

The country's sporting heroes include triple jumper Françoise Mbango Etone, the back-to-back Olympic gold medallist at Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 who Ayuketang describes as an "icon".

Football is of course universally loved, with the country producing stars such as former Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o who won Olympic gold in Sydney in 2000.

Eto'o, who also played for clubs including Inter Milan and Chelsea, scored in the Olympic final as his side drew 2-2 against Spain and he netted again in the penalty shoot-out as the Africans won 5-3.

No discussion of Cameroon football can take place without mentioning Roger Milla, after the forward's sublime performances at the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy.

Then aged 38, Milla was always named as a substitute but came off the bench to score four times as his country made a dream run to the quarter-finals.

At the 1994 World Cup in the United States, Milla broke his own record as the oldest scorer at the tournament when he registered against Russia at the age of 42.

Although his side lost 6-1, it gave him the chance to replicate his famous dancing celebrations by the corner flag.

"There are names that every Cameroonian would never forget, even the children," said Ayuketang. "They know of Françoise Mbango, they know of Samuel Eto'o Fils and Roger Milla. 

"These ones nobody can forget."

Ayuketang said the COVID-19 pandemic had severely limited the opportunities for Cameroonian athletes to compete, with sport at all levels halted for more than a year by a Prime Ministerial decree.

Cameroon has hosted two major football events - the African Nations Championship and the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) - during the coronavirus era which has stretched resources.

This included staff being paid double what was budgeted as restrictions meant work took two years to complete instead of one.

The AFCON, which took place a year later than planned in January and February this year, was hit by tragedy after eight people died following a stampede at Olembe Stadium, during Cameroon's quarter-final with Comoros. 

"COVID has really impeded on the performances and participation at international and local level," said Ayuketang. 

"The advent of COVID restricted our athletes from taking part in many competitions. 

"It's like teaching - all teaching without evaluation is null and void. You can only know that you are taught well after you evaluate, when you can see if you are learning something or not. 

"Athletes trained hard but by the time of competition they could not go. So we do not know at what level to evaluate them, because most of them have had this issue of not being able to travel. 

"We are very thankful to the magnanimity of the Commonwealth Games Federation who have decided to grant them another opportunity by inviting most of them with a bipartite invitation. 

"We requested this for some athletes who had past performances which were remarkable."

Ayuketang believes the COVID hiatus will have added fuel to the fire of athletes who are set to compete in Birmingham.

"I think it's going to be successful," he said. 

"We had a very small delegation at the Tokyo Olympic Games and most of our athletes did not take part. 

"It is commonly said that 'a hungry man is an angry man'. 

"The athletes who are going to qualify for Birmingham, they are going to come with a sort of vengeance, upon themselves. 

"They have been starved for a long time and now they are coming to eat all of the food that is going to be set on the table for them. 

"They have been down for so long, but now they are saying 'I have an opportunity to showcase what I have'.

"'I have been training, training, training, and now it's time for me to explode.'"  

Eswatini - October 2021

A new name will be announced when the countries and territories are introduced at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony - that of Eswatini.

The small country in Southern Africa was known as Swaziland until April 2018, when King Mswati III ushered in a new era by deciding to change things.

Eswatini, which means "Land of the Swazis", is what the King had been calling the country for many years.

His decision to make the name official would have caused several headaches, including the rebranding of the Swaziland Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association.

"The King is a very progressive person who has always wanted to see Swaziland on the world map," said Nhlanhla Maphanga, Eswatini's Chef de Mission for Birmingham 2022, to insidethegames.

"This is through infrastructure and also gateways, making sure we are accessible. 

"He felt we needed to change our colonial chains and stand for ourselves, and become the country whose name it was before. 

"That for me was a very bold move, but we've all accepted it and adjusted to that.

"It's not a completely new name, it's always been on our travel documents and passports - Kingdom of Eswatini."

A concern in Swaziland was that the country would often be confused with Switzerland.

"When I travelled that was one of the experiences I had," Maphanga added. "When you say you are from Swaziland, people say 'Switzerland?' 

"We needed to get that personal identity. Change is never very popular but it takes adjustment."

One of the consequences of the name change is that Eswatini will march at the Opening Ceremony much earlier if the teams in Birmingham are announced in alphabetical order.

"By the time we walk out [as Swaziland] people are yawning, basically waiting for all the other big countries with the last letters," said Maphanga.

"We're now going to be up front!"

Eswatini, as Swaziland, has claimed one silver and three bronze medals in its Commonwealth Games history.

The country is currently hoping to send 12 athletes to Birmingham - in athletics, swimming and boxing - with final numbers still to be confirmed.

One major hope is 200 metres sprinter Sibusiso Matsenjwa, who reached the semi-finals at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. He ran a time of 20.22sec which would have earned him Commonwealth silver at Gold Coast in 2018.

"Our star athletes are in camp in South Africa, just getting themselves ready and training," said Maphanga, a former international footballer for his country.

"Fortunately this is just after the Olympics, so the guys are still fresh. 

"We were very happy with the performance of our athletes (in Tokyo), it just gave us a lot of homework. 

"We are a new Board which just took over at the beginning of this year, so we are finding our feet, but we are also seeing where the gaps are and where the challenges are. 

"One of the major challenges we are facing is mental preparation for our athletes. 

"A lot of the time, stage fright kills our kids. When they get to the actual event, we need to have a psychologist travelling with them to make sure they are mentally prepared each time. 

"You can prepare the kids leading up to the event, but when they get there things change - climate conditions, people, everything. It can overwhelm you as an athlete."

Psychological performance would not have been helped by the COVID-19 pandemic, especially as the country's team needed to train over the border in South Africa at a time when international travel was halted.

"One of the things we are striving for is a high performance centre in Eswatini, because right now it's in Pretoria in South Africa," said Maphanga. 

"So that's where we have to send our athletes. We believe we're now at a stage where we should have our own. We would rather bring in the coaches than send the athletes. 

"COVID has had a real big impact for us. The pandemic took us by surprise, it took our Government by surprise, and we shut down all sports before slowly opening up again. 

"When the pandemic hit, they [athletes] all just sat at home. And we slowly tried to tell them 'you can start training at home'. 

"It was quite scary. We lost a lot of time and only a few athletes managed to continue. At least now we are able to travel to South Africa, we are able to compete there. Hopefully we will be back on our feet real quick." 

Maphanga, who played for football clubs Manzini Wanderers, Denver Sundowns and Mbabane Swallows, as well as the senior national side, switched sports when moving into governance and is now President of the country's basketball association.

He is keen to promote the 3x3 discipline - which will appear at the Commonwealth Games for the first time in Birmingham - and in particular the wheelchair version.

"The big one we started, that was actually going faster than 3x3, was wheelchair 3x3," he said. 

"That was really coming up very fast but, when COVID hit, everything just stopped. 

"Our equipment is borrowed from an organisation called Cheshire Homes. So when everything stopped, we didn't get access to the equipment any more. 

"So we're slowly building that up again."

Birmingham 2022 will be Maphanga's first Commonwealth Games as Chef de Mission.

He said that the event is well regarded in Eswatini, which has a population of just over a million.

"It is a big deal, we've had very good history," he said. "Boxing is the sport that has given us good history. 

"We've not been that good in athletics but we now have a top 20 athlete in the world [Matsenjwa] coming to the Commonwealth Games. 

"After his performance in Tokyo, everybody is excited and waiting to see.

"It's a first Games for me. I'm excited about it, I'm willing to learn. 

"What I saw from Tokyo, and what I'm seeing now from basketball, is the excitement the athletes have about just getting back out there to play and to compete." 

Ghana - June 2022

Ghana is poised to take a record-breaking contingent to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Ninety-seven athletes are due to represent the African nation, in athletics, badminton, beach volleyball, boxing, judo, triathlon, squash, weightlifting, table tennis, powerlifting, swimming and hockey.

As the Games provide a lot of opportunities for Ghanaian athletes to compete, they are an important fixture on the country's sporting calendar.

"I think this will be the biggest contingent we will have taken to a competition of this level," said Ghana's Birmingham 2022 Chef de Mission, Frederick Acheampong.

"With the Olympic Games you need a lot to qualify, so normally we are unable to send a lot of athletes.

"But for the Commonwealth Games, because of the open allocation, we are guaranteed at least 40 to 45 athletes competing.

"So, looking at the numbers, it is a competition that we are able to send a lot of athletes to.

"It's very, very big in Ghana."

Acheampong, the treasurer of the Ghana Olympic Committee, has spent time working in England which played a part in his Chef de Mission appointment.

The country has particularly targeted athletics and boxing as sports where they may be able to reach the Birmingham podium, while there are also hopes in swimming and weightlifting.

"Normally for Ghana these are the areas we do well, athletics and boxing in particular," said Acheampong.

"I'm sure we can do something in weightlifting.

"Those are the areas normally we expect medals from."

Ghana will not be able to call upon history-making boxer Samuel Takyi for their Birmingham team.

The featherweight won bronze at Tokyo 2020 last year - securing the country's first Olympic medal for nearly 30 years - but has since turned professional.

Jessie Lartey, who won Ghana's only medal at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games with bronze at light welterweight, does look set to be in the boxing squad - known as the "Black Bombers" - however.

He will be joined by another Commonwealth medallist in Abdul Omar, who captured flyweight bronze at Glasgow 2014 and is set for a third Games.

American-based Ornella Sathoud will be the sole women's boxer, while athletics could see Tokyo 2020 sprinter Joseph Amoah feature, after his appearance in the 200 metres semi-finals in Japan.

Sprinter Benjamin Azamati, high jumper Abigail Kwarteng and long jumper Deborah Acquah are other hopes in track and field.

Acheampong said that the COVID-19 pandemic had a "massive impact" in Ghana.

"Boxing and other sports, they train at the beach," he said.

"And for a very long time there was a ban on activities there.

"So most of these athletes were unable to train, and beyond that, initially, there was a ban on all sporting activities in Ghana.

"All sporting activities came to a halt for a very long period.

"When they lifted it, I think football was first and then other sports...

"But recently the Government has given us the green light, we are back training again and the beaches are open." 

Acheampong will be serving as Chef de Mission for the first time.

"In terms of this large contingent and various sporting disciplines, it's my first experience," he said.

"I'm looking forward to gaining a lot of experience and making an impact with the knowledge I've gained, leading other sporting teams and attending sporting tournaments and events across the world."

Ghana's team in Birmingham may well have one eye on next year's African Games, which the country will host in Accra in August.

The rare chance to compete at a home Games inevitably adds a bit of extra fuel to the fire.

"Ghana is very, very excited about the African Games," Acheampong said.

"There's a Committee in place working towards the hosting.

"Athletes will get exposure at the Commonwealth Games, and coming into the African Games we should be very, very optimistic about doing very well next year." 

Acheampong is an Executive Committee member of the Ghana Football Association and the beautiful game tends to dominate the sporting landscape.

"For football, even if there is no ball available, kids can gather things," he said.

"We used cloth - fold it around, use some rope to tie it...

"We used to do that as kids and play in every little corner. So there's easy access."

Ghana could well be a sleeping giant in other sports where the facilities are not as developed.

"For boxing, for instance, the reason why we're doing well is that in certain parts of Ghana, especially in Accra, the whole community is about boxing," Acheampong said. "So they have access to it.

"It's about infrastructure to develop the other sports. I'm pretty sure that Ghana would have the talent, the only thing is the infrastructure.

"We are limited in number and that affects the development of the other sports." 

After Birmingham 2022, Acheampong's focus will be on the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where the scriptwriters have handed Ghana a mouthwatering rematch with Uruguay in the group stage.

The two sides met in the quarter-finals of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, where Uruguay's Luis Suarez deliberately used his hand to prevent a certain Ghana goal which would have put them 2-1 ahead with just seconds left in extra time.

Suarez was sent off, but Ghana's Asamoah Gyan missed the resultant penalty and Uruguay progressed to the semi-finals via a shoot-out.

It remains as one of the most talked about and controversial moments in World Cup history.

"What happened in South Africa in June 2010 is on the mind of every Ghanaian football loving fan," Acheampong said.

"We thought that was a great opportunity for Ghana and Africa to stake a claim for the World Cup.

"We believed that we would have made the semi-final, and who knows the final, and possibly even winning it, Africa winning it for the first time."

Fans of South Africa's team, known as the Bafana Bafana, had pledged their support to Ghana after their side were knocked out.

"That particular handball, I think it broke a lot of hearts here in Ghana and across Africa in general," Acheampong added.

"Because at that point in time we had the whole of Africa behind us.

"Every shop we entered, the South Africans were supporting Ghana. 

"Instead of Black Stars, they were calling us 'BaGhana BaGhana', so they merged Bafana and Ghana.

"It was an opportunity for us to write our names in history...

"I'm sure it will be an interesting game when Ghana meet up with Uruguay in Qatar." 

Before the World Cup, however, Birmingham 2022 must take centre stage.

Ghana has won 15 gold medals in its Commonwealth Games history, and has competed at every edition since Vancouver 1954 with the exception of 1986 in Edinburgh.

Acheampong visited Birmingham and thinks preparations are going well.

"I believe they are doing a fantastic job," he said. 

"They are doing great work, and I am sure Birmingham will be ready for it.

"I was impressed when I went there, so I would expect a very successful event."

Kenya - July 2022

Kenya has long dominated distance running at the Commonwealth Games but will arrive at Birmingham 2022 with a point to prove.

At Glasgow 2014, the African nation won 10 gold medals, with all but Julius Yego's javelin title coming in a running race over 800 metres in length.

However, their haul slipped to just four titles at Gold Coast 2018 and the country has also fallen back at the World Athletics Championships.

After claiming five golds at both the London 2017 and Doha 2019 editions, Kenya won just two at the World Championships which finished in Eugene yesterday.

Barnaba Korir, the Kenyan head of delegation in Eugene, said Birmingham 2022 was a "chance for us to redeem the country's image as an athletics powerhouse".

To that end, a strong athletics team has been selected for the Commonwealth Games, despite the close proximity of the World Championships.

Olympic 800m champion Emmanuel Korir, one of the two Kenyan world champions in Eugene, has been named as well as Rio 2016 steeplechase winner Conseslus Kipruto who has just won world bronze.

Yego has the chance to win his second Commonwealth Games gold in javelin, while Jacob Krop will look to go one better than his 5,000m silver in Eugene.

In women's action, world bronze medallist Mary Moraa will race in the 400m and 800m and Beatrice Chebet, like Krop, will look to turn world silver in the 5,000m to gold.

Kenya will send 127 athletes to Birmingham in all, and will also compete in 3x3 basketball, badminton, beach volleyball, boxing, cycling, hockey, judo, lawn bowls, powerlifting, rugby sevens, squash, swimming, weightlifting and wrestling.

John Ogolla, the deputy treasurer of the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOCK) and the secretary general of the country's weightlifting body, is serving as Chef de Mission.

"I am happy to work with an entire army of hardworking teams," he said.

"We are in regular touch with the organisers just to ensure that all is set. 

"We've met critical timelines in regard to the Games. 

"We are also operating a bubble camp to ensure athletes and officials are safe."

Not all of Kenya's big athletics names will be travelling to Birmingham, with the likes of back-to-back 1500m Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon, a gold medallist in Eugene, among those set to be absent.

Marathon world record holder Eliud Kipchoge, who remarkably only boasts one silver medal in his Commonwealth Games collection, is also not in the team.

This gives others the chance to stake their claim, however, with the country's distance dominance summed up by the fact that no other nation has won a medal in the 3,000m steeplechase since 1994.

"We have had teams in various residential camps but the main camp is at Moi Stadium, Kasarani," said Ogolla. 

"Others are in Mombasa, Murang'a, Parklands Sports Club and Utalii. 

"Team Kenya will be in three Villages, which gives us additional logistics and administration needs, but we are planning sufficiently for this. 

"The Villages are at Birmingham University, University of Warwick and NEC hotels in Birmingham. 

"The sports are spread between the Villages based on proximity to the competition venues."

Kenya first competed at the Commonwealth Games in Vancouver in 1954.

The country has only missed the 1986 edition in Edinburgh since then, winning a total of 85 gold medals.

In November, the Queen's Baton Relay for Birmingham 2022 arrived. Highlights of the visit included a trip in a matatu, which are buses hand-decorated with art, famous portraits and quotes.

The matatu chosen to transport the baton featured illustrations of The Flintstones.

Batonbearers also hiked up the Ngong Hills and visited the Nairobi City Viewpoint, with famous athletes such as Paul Tergat, a double Olympic silver medallist and the President of the NOCK, among those to hold it.

Kenya is now hoping that more famous athletes might emerge after strong performances in Birmingham, and that it can restore some track and field pride.

"We can assure Kenyans of a successful Team Kenya outing with over 5,000 athletes from 72 nations expected in Birmingham," said Ogolla. 

Lesotho - May 2022

Africa is not known for its cold weather, but Lesotho is not like most African countries.

The landlocked mountainous kingdom, which is completely surrounded by South Africa, is a place where temperatures can fall to just above freezing in winter.

As well as being cooler, Lesotho is also high.

It is the only country in the world which is completely above 1,000 metres in elevation, while it has the "highest lowest point" of any nation, at 1,400m.

Lesotho's natural geography means that it even boasts a ski resort - a rare find in Africa.

The country's athletes will also use what is on their doorstep when preparing for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Training at altitude creates more red blood cells, in turn allowing an athlete to carry more oxygen. This extra oxygen gives the muscles a boost, even when training back down at a lower level.

"When they train at this high altitude it can give them a better chance of performing well at a lower level, at the sea level," said Fetang Selialia, Lesotho's Chef de Mission for Birmingham 2022.

"Most of our athletes like training in the lowlands! 

"But if you train in the mountains you can perform much, much better. 

"We will see how we can take them to high altitude, spend some time there and train around there. 

"So when we come over to Birmingham they give their best performance." 

Selialia, the President of the Federation of Lesotho Rugby and a member of the Lesotho National Olympic Committee (LNOC), added that the team would also seek warmer weather to help acclimatise before Birmingham.

"The weather is really starting to get cold here in Lesotho," he said. 

"So we want to take our athletes to Durban so it's a little bit warmer. 

"From Durban they go directly to Birmingham. 

"They can adjust to the weather."

Lesotho is due to send 21 athletes to the Commonwealth Games, including five men and five women in athletics.

Five boxers, two road cyclists, two mountain bikers, a Para-athlete and a weightlifter are set to complete the team.

Athletes to watch include Netang Khatala, after her 20th place finish in the women's marathon at the rearranged Tokyo 2020 Olympics last year.

"We are really hopeful of a medal," said Selialia. "She's our biggest star."

In the ring, Rio 2016 Olympian Moroke Mokhotho will look to go one better than his quarter-final appearance at Gold Coast 2018, where he was one victory away from a guaranteed bronze in the men's bantamweight.

Birmingham should be the third Commonwealth Games for Mokhotho, who leads the LNOC Athletes' Commission.

Selialia knows what it is like to compete for Lesotho as he played as prop for the national rugby union side.

"It's an honour when you hear your national anthem play as an athlete," he said.

"I used to shed a tear, a little bit, it was emotional. 

"When the whistle goes you want that first hit, you want to knock the first guy out! You know how rugby is.

"I want to instill this kind of mentality into our team. 

"I want all our athletes who are coming to represent us to know what's at stake. 

"They are not coming to Birmingham for a holiday. They have to bring something for our people. 

"This country has been through so many things, there are a lot of problems so we need something to celebrate."

Lesotho's rugby team was remarkably only set-up in 2011 by Englishman Dan Aylward, who was working in the country and was looking for a place to play.

After originally marking out pitches using flour, the country has now earned victories over local rivals and created a league system.

Selialia, who took over from Aylward as President, said he learnt the sport in South Africa, a country with which there are inevitable close ties.

San Marino and the Vatican City - which are encircled by Italy - are the only other countries to be completely enclosed by another.

"We have a memorandum signed with South Africa," said Selialia.

"For example, the University of the Free State allows our CGA and some of our athletes to access their high performance facilities. 

"Netang Khatala is in Durban, she's running a lot of marathons.

"We have relations with South Africa because of our geopolitics."

Lesotho has won one gold, one silver and one bronze medal in its Commonwealth Games history.

The gold - the first medal the country won - arrived at Kuala Lumpur 1998 courtesy of men's marathon champion Thabiso Moqhali.

"He's still a big person here in the country, especially with assisting our up and coming road runners," Selialia said.  

"We want to use people like him to help us instill some positive mentality towards the players. 

"Not just the road runners but the entire team. Even me as well."

Lesotho has competed at every Commonwealth Games since Christchurch in 1974, with the exception of Brisbane 1982.

They have not won a medal since the Melbourne Games in 2006.

At Gold Coast 2018, three Australian runners were praised for their sportsmanship after they waited to greet home Lesotho's Lineo Chaka, who finished the 10,000m two laps behind the rest of the field. 

"The athletes that we have identified, the ones who have qualified through their National Federations, we give them a qualification criteria, we give them a qualification standard," said Selialia. 

"We ensure there is no bias when it comes to selecting athletes. 

"We ensure we bring in the best athletes from that discipline. 

"We don't expect them to bring in athletes who are not going to do well, we are bringing competitive athletes." 

Lesotho was dealt a COVID-19 related blow when its top weightlifter, Thapelo Sebota, was ruled out of Birmingham 2022.

He could not compete at the World Championships in Tashkent in December due to Uzbekistan's travel restrictions on countries in southern Africa, amid the Omicron variant.

Sebota then hoped to secure qualification to Birmingham at an event in Mauritius, but the International Weightlifting Federation blocked him after saying it had not received his whereabouts information.

This was denied by the Lesotho Weightlifting Federation, which said it had sent the required details.

"Our best [weightlifting] athlete is not coming, he was affected by issues surrounding COVID-19," said Selialia.

"The national stadium was also closed for a while. It disrupted a lot of the track and field athletes.  

"They were unable to train and we ended up taking some of them to South Africa to train in places like Bloemfontein. 

"Some currently are still in Durban." 

The visit of the Queen's Baton Relay in Lesotho started at the Royal Palace, where it was sent on its way by King Letsie III.

A symbol of the country is the Basotho straw hat, which features on the national flag and will no doubt be worn at the Birmingham Opening Ceremony.

There is even a building shaped like the hat in capital city Maseru.

"It's representative of who we are," said Selialia.  

"It's a national symbol for us. 

"We pride ourselves on it as people from Lesotho. 

"When you leave the country, as a token of our appreciation, we'll always give you a hat. 

"To ensure that you will remember that, once, you were in Lesotho."

The 2022 Commonwealth Games were originally due to be held in Durban, which would have been a "local" event for Lesotho.

But they are looking forward to Birmingham, and the LNOC will be running a series of features on the country's athletes on Facebook.

"The Commonwealth Games are massive," said Selialia. "A massive showpiece which really brings people together. 

"I will be on national television discussing issues surrounding the Chef de Mission and issues surrounding Birmingham. 

"We are trying to put people into the spirit of the Commonwealth Games."

Malawi - October 2021

Football dominates the sporting agenda in many countries but in landlocked Malawi the beautiful game has a rival.

Netball, a women's only sport, has been given equal status in the African nation and it is paying dividends on the court.

Malawi is currently ranked sixth in the world - a highly impressive position for a country of its size.

There are now dreams of pinching a medal at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games after the Africans were unlucky to miss out on the semi-finals at Gold Coast 2018.

The team known as the Queens shocked now world champions New Zealand with a 57-53 victory, and were only eliminated from last four contention on goal difference.

Mwai Kumwenda, who plays in Australia, is the star player but there are others who ply their trade overseas and the squad will only improve.

This is an inspiration for girls growing up in Malawi, who have a clear target to aim for.

"Companies and the Government have invested in netball a lot," said Henry Sakala, Malawi's Chef de Mission for Birmingham 2022, to insidethegames.

"This gives the chance of competing at local level. 

"Netball is equally funded like what they do with football, although in football we don't go as far as the World Cup, we are eliminated in the preliminaries!

"But for netball, the Government supports the sport heavily and the companies come in to sponsor the sport.

"We can proudly say that we have netball as a sport which is doing fine in the country." 

Malawi is also hoping to bolster its Birmingham team in other sports and could have a team size of around 30.

Sakala said the country is hoping to compete in athletics, boxing, judo and swimming.

Boxers have won all of Malawi's three Commonwealth Games medals - all bronzes - with the last podium finish coming in Edinburgh in 1986.

"We are preparing our athletes for the Games," Sakala said. "Some of the sports still need to qualify.

"We are trying to prepare our athletes fairly so that we bring a team which can compete rather than just participating.

"In boxing we have also got potential."

Like in every country, the COVID-19 pandemic has hindered Malawi's preparations.

"Of late, the number of cases has dropped drastically," Sakala said.

"But we were at a standstill where athletes could not train. It affected us a lot but now we are trying to pick up. 

"Now, athletes are training and games are being organised. 

"For example, athletics just had their championships. The boxing guys are having their championships. So now it's opening up." 

Sakala was team manager in Gold Coast and will be Chef de Mission for the first time in Birmingham.

"Malawi has given me full responsibility this time around," he said.

The country will welcome the Queen's Baton Relay in November as part of the African leg.

"Since we started participating, Malawians do watch the Games," he said. 

"We get the Queen's baton before the Games, that event reminds people that the Games are on. 

"The media normally cover it fully to make sure people are aware that the Commonwealth Games are indeed taking place. 

"We are getting the Birmingham baton in November so that will add more excitement.

"What we are praying for is the pandemic to be eliminated come 2022.

"If this continues it will actually spoil the whole process.

"Without spectators at the arenas, it doesn't give you much excitement. 

"Competitors are excited when they see people watching them. 

"Let's just pray that this pandemic goes away and that we have good Games like before." 

Mauritius - July 2022

Mauritius did not win a medal at the first nine Commonwealth Games the country attended, but since then they have always appeared on the podium.

You have to go back to Victoria 1994 to find the last Games where the island nation did not trouble the medal table, with a steady stream of success coming afterwards.

The duck was broken emphatically at the Kuala Lumpur 1998 Games, which saw Mauritius win four medals including gold for flyweight boxer Richard Sunee.

Boxing has proved particularly fruitful for Mauritius, a honeymoon paradise which lies in the Indian Ocean around 2,000 kilometres from the African mainland.

Eight of the country's 13 medals have come in the ring with the nation, previously a territory of both Britain and France, also reaching the podium in athletics, judo and weightlifting.

Track and field stars include Stéphan Buckland, who won 200 metres silver at Melbourne 2006, and Kersley Gardenne, who became the first Mauritian Commonwealth Games medallist with pole vault bronze in Kuala Lumpur.

Sunee remains as the only ever Mauritian gold medallist, however, and Richard Papie, the country's Chef de Mission for Birmingham 2022, is keen for more success.

Top of the agenda will be improving on the single silver medal the country won last time out at Gold Coast 2018, which was the island's lowest haul for 16 years.

"Mauritius won a medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia," said Papie, the first vice-president of the Mauritius Olympic Committee.

"Weightlifter Roilya Ranaivosoa was the only medalist from Mauritius. 

"Our expectation for Birmingham 2022 is to do better in terms of results."

Ranaivosoa, a double Olympian who won her silver in Gold Coast in the 48 kilograms event, will be among the Mauritius squad in Birmingham.

Sixty-one athletes are due to represent Mauritius in all, in athletics, badminton, boxing, cycling, judo, swimming, table tennis, triathlon, weightlifting and wrestling. 

"It is a pleasure for Mauritius to participate in this 22nd edition of the Commonwealth Games which will be held in Birmingham, England from July 28 to August 8," said Papie, who has served as President of the country's wrestling federation. 

"As a Commonwealth country, we attach great importance to this great sporting mass."

Mauritius first competed at the Commonwealth Games in Cardiff in 1958.

They have been ever-present since then, with the exception of the Edinburgh 1986 Games.

Stars from the country include boxer Bruno Julie, who remains as the only Mauritian Olympic medallist after his bantamweight bronze at Beijing 2008.

Julie also earned Commonwealth silver and bronze medals and is one of only two athletes from the country, alongside fellow boxer Giovanni Frontin, to have medalled at two editions of the Games.

The country regularly competes at the Indian Ocean Island Games, where it has won more than 400 golds to sit behind Réunion on the all-time medal table.

Mauritius has hosted the event three times, in 1985, 2003 and 2011.

In November, the Queen's Baton Relay for Birmingham 2022 arrived and travelled a lengthy 199 kilometres around the island.

To negate the impact on the environment, the baton was taken by electric bus or on the metro system when possible.

Canoeists and rowers held the baton in the Indian Ocean, while it also visited Parliament and the Naval Museum.

Papie will be assisted by two team managers at Birmingham 2022 - Aline Li and Fayzal Bundhun.

They are due to travel to Birmingham on July 19 to prepare for the arrival of the country's athletes.

"I wish good luck to all the participating countries," Papie said. 

"And big thanks to the host country England for organising this major sporting event despite the difficult economic situation linked to COVID-19." 

Mozambique - March 2022

When Mozambique joined the Commonwealth of Nations in 1995, it became the first country in the club not to have a constitutional link to Britain or any other member.

The African nation instead traces its colonial past back to Portugal, from which it became independent in 1975.

With Portuguese as the country's official language, communication at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will not be as easy for the Mozambique team as it will be for other countries.

"It's really difficult, for the Commonwealth Games we assume all the countries are English speakers," said Odete Semião, the Mozambique Chef de Mission for Birmingham 2022, to insidethegames.

"At the Olympics you have translations, and someone who can take care of the team who can speak Portuguese. 

"For this, it's only in English, so it's an effort for us. 

"But although we are the only country which speaks Portuguese, if you see our location in the region, we are surrounded by English speaking countries. 

"So we can communicate, which is good." 

Mozambique is expecting to take around 15 athletes to Birmingham 2022 in athletics, swimming, judo, boxing and triathlon, while qualification in beach volleyball remains ongoing.

This will be a smaller team than the 26 athletes who competed at Gold Coast 2018, when numbers were bolstered by the women's basketball side.

Only 3x3 basketball is on the Birmingham programme, in which Mozambique did not have the chance to qualify.

"After the Olympic Games, the Commonwealth Games is the most known," said Semião.

"It is a well known Games among the community. 

"In our strategic plan at the Olympic Committee, after the Olympics, the second big Games is the Commonwealth Games."

Women's boxing perhaps provides Mozambique with its best chance to win a medal in Birmingham.

At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, both Acinda Panguana and Rady Gramane lost quarter-final bouts when victory would have guaranteed them a bronze.

It is hoped that in Birmingham, Panguana, a welterweight, and Gramane, a middleweight, will at least go one step further.

"Those two athletes are champions in southern Africa," Semião said.  

"So that's where we are putting our hopes that they will do something very positive at these Games." 

Mozambique has won two gold medals, two silvers and two bronze since debuting at the Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur in 1998.

Both of the golds were won by track star Maria Mutola, who won the 800 metres in Kuala Lumpur and then defended her title at Manchester 2002.

Mutola, who also won Commonwealth bronze in Melbourne in 2006, is the only athlete from Mozambique to ever win an Olympic medal.

She won the 800m gold at Sydney 2000 after a bronze at Atlanta 1996, and also boasts 10 world titles across the outdoor and indoor events.

This type of success means she is undoubtedly Mozambique's biggest sports star of recent years, with fame to rival that of football legend Eusebio, who was born in the country but became one of the world's greatest ever strikers while playing for Portugal.

 "In Mozambique's history she [Mutola] is the best known athlete," said Semião.

"Like everywhere, when medals arrive it's always a big party and a reception for her, and all the media surrounding that.

"She stimulates the others to follow in her steps. 

"The young generations see her as someone to follow." 

Mozambique also competes at the Islamic Solidarity Games, which are due to take place this year in Konya.

The Opening Ceremony in Turkey is scheduled for August 9, only a day after the end of Birmingham 2022. This means an exceptionally quick turnaround for athletes wanting to compete in both.

Another event on Mozambique's agenda is the Lusofonia Games for Portuguese speaking countries, although this hasn't been held since 2014.

Semião was also Chef de Mission at the Glasgow 2014 and Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, and enjoys the demands of leading the team.

"It's interesting to me, it's a challenge," she said. 

"Normally the teams we take are small, although in Gold Coast we had a basketball team.

"It is a manageable team and because we are not taking a lot of sports, it is easy to manage and it's a really good experience." 

The Queen's Baton Relay came to Mozambique in November and was considered a success.

"The Relay was very good," said Semião.

"We couldn't take it out of Maputo, but we managed to take the baton to different schools and communities, and to traditional leaders. 

"People were excited. Some didn't know and said 'what is that' but then if they touched the baton it was something special for them."

Semião said that the impact of COVID-19 on sport in Mozambique was "really bad", with some athletes opting to call time on their careers.

"For two years it completely stopped as there was no condition for the athletes to train," she said. 

"It was a worldwide issue and it was complicated for the athletes.

"Some had to start training because of the Olympics. Two years is a lot. 

"Some athletes quit and did not come back for training. 

"Some were at the end of their careers, some started university, they were looking for jobs... 

"We had some losses of athletes because of this, but now we are getting back to normal life."

COVID-19 has also dominated the planning for Birmingham 2022, which promises to be a different Games despite the lifting of restrictions in England.

"I'm really excited to see how it will be," said Semião. 

"Because it will be different from the other two Games I have participated in.

"The COVID issue has brought us a lot of challenges, and a lot of changes, and I don't know if it will be good or not.

"The sports community are used to having all the athletes in the same Village, but we will have athletes in different Villages. 

"There are a lot of changes to the way the Games are running, even where the athletes eat...

"Even for the contact between the athletes, it won't be the same.

"So let's see, I'm really excited to see how it will go.

"I think it will be good but different.

"We have to learn the new way of doing things."

Namibia covers a massive part of south-western Africa but there are not many people. This means there is plenty of room for sport.

A population of just over two million lives in the 34th largest country in the world, in an area of almost 320,000 square miles.

It has the second lowest population density of any country, behind only Mongolia. 

"We've got a beautiful country," said Marja Woortman, Namibia's Chef de Mission for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. 

"We've got something of everything, we've got the desert, we've got the sea. 

"We've got forests, we've got wildlife. 

"We've got a huge country and a very small population.

"Because you've got so much sun in our country, people like the outdoors and they like nature, and they like travelling.

"Sport is doing well."

Namibia is known for the Namib dessert, where sand dunes spectacularly stretch down to the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. 

The shipwreck strewn Skeleton Coast and some of the world's most unique and bizarre plant life are other highlights.

Away from its natural blessings, the country is starting to make a name for itself in sport, too, and celebrated a historic medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games last year.

Christine Mboma, who turns 19 this month, won silver in the women's 200 metres to become only the second Namibian Olympic medallist after the acclaimed Frankie Fredericks, as well as being the first woman to step foot on a podium. 

The teenager, alongside fellow 19-year-old sprinter Beatrice Masilingi, is due to be a headline name in the country's 25-strong team in Birmingham, which will be bolstered by six or seven Para-competitors.

As well as athletics, the country is hoping to compete in swimming, bowls, boxing, wrestling and possibly gymnastics.

Mboma, who clearly has a bright future due to her young age, was only second to Jamaican great Elaine Thompson-Herah in Tokyo.

She won gold in the 200m at last year's World Under-20 Championships in Nairobi, an event which saw Masilingi return home with three silver medals.

The careers of both youngsters have already been hit by controversy, however, as World Athletics testosterone rules mean that, just like South Africa's Caster Semenya, they cannot race over distances between 400m and the mile.

The Namibia National Olympic Committee (NNOC), which described World Athletics' handling of the pair's cases as an "unacceptable invasion" of their privacy, has supported the athletes.

Mboma, who said fans chased her car in celebration after she returned home from Tokyo, was named as the BBC African Sports Personality of the Year.

"She is an example for many athletes," said Woortman, an NNOC Executive Board member.

"She's also a part of an athletics camp, helping kids.

"So she's not keeping it for herself, she's taking it back to the community." 

Fredericks won the world title over 200m in 1993, as well as four Olympic silver medals across the Barcelona 1992 and Atlanta 1996 Games.

At the Commonwealth Games, he won two gold medals in the 200m eight years apart, at Victoria 1994 and Manchester 2002.

He is Namibia's undisputed greatest sporting export, but became embroiled in scandal after moving into sports governance at the end of his competitive career.

In 2017, Fredericks self suspended himself as an International Olympic Committee member after French authorities accused him of bribery - accusations he denies.

Namibia enjoyed its best ever Commonwealth Games at Gold Coast 2018, where the country won two gold medals for the first time.

Both light welterweight boxer Jonas Jonas and women's marathon champion Helalia Johannes should be back to defend their titles, and fans from the country are hoping to lend their support.

"There's a group here in Namibia who want to come over," said Woortman.

"There's one person who has taken up the initiative to get some fans together. 

"And they want to come over and watch Namibians compete.

"It helps with the mood and atmosphere so it's always good to have people like that." 

The Queen's Baton Relay visited Namibia in December and made use of the country's natural beauty.

Olympians from Tokyo 2020 were involved and the baton visited the Dune 7 sand dune, which measures in at more than 383 metres high.

"We had a great event," Woortman said.

"It came into our capital city in Windhoek, we took it to the President and then to the British High Commissioner. 

"We had a reception there and we took it down to the coast, Walvis Bay and Swakopmund.

"We visited the Topnaar community who stay close to Walvis Bay in the desert."

Woortman will be serving as Chef de Mission for the first time and is in charge of Namibia's Coaching Committee.

This involves holding regional coaching forums.

Her main sport is archery and she travelled with athlete Xander Reddig to both the 2014 Summer Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing and the 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games in Samoa.

"My son started archery and I ended up as a coach," Woortman said.

"I never shot myself.

"But I took all the coaching courses to train others."

Namibia is the only Commonwealth country where German is widely spoken and is home to a number of tribes.

The Birmingham 2022 team will include athletes from many different regions and cultures.

Woortman attended the Birmingham 2022 open day visits in March and was left impressed with preparations.

"It was brilliant, I enjoyed it," she said.

"All the venues, and the accommodation, and the people...

"It looks well organised, people are on time and there are high standards." 

Nigeria - May 2022

The inclusive combination of able-bodied and Para-sports at the Commonwealth Games is something that has really benefited Nigeria.

Para-powerlifting first featured at the Games at Manchester 2002 and the African nation has won all 12 gold medals contested since then.

This dominance is something Nigeria naturally hopes will continue at Birmingham 2022, and it is no surprise that Chef de Mission Simon Ebhojiaye has selected powerlifters among his athletes to watch from the country.

Lifters to look out for in the West Midlands city include Tokyo 2020 Paralympic champions Folashade Oluwafemiayo, Latifat Tijani and Bose Omolayo.

Oluwafemiayo won in Japan at 86 kilograms and is also a three-time world champion.

Tijani is the Tokyo gold medallist at under-45kg, while Omolayo won at 79kg.

The trio have broken numerous records between them but Nigeria's Para-sport story in Birmingham will not end with powerlifting.

Ebhojiaye points to track and field's Eucharia Iyiazi, who specialises in the throwing events and won bronze at Tokyo 2020 in the F57 shot put.

Iyiazi is still competing at the age of 48 and won the first of her six Paralympic medals - which include two golds - in Athens in 2004.

Nigeria first competed at the Commonwealth Games in Auckland in 1950 and has experienced stop-start participation since then.

The country did not appear in 1962, 1978 or 1986, and they were ineligible for Kuala Lumpur 1998 after Nigeria was suspended from the Commonwealth of Nations due to the worldwide condemnation caused by the execution of nine environmental activists. 

When counting all of its appearances, Nigeria has won 70 gold medals, the third best record in Africa after South Africa and Kenya.

In Birmingham, 100 athletes will represent the country in athletics and Para-athletics, boxing, judo, powerlifting, table tennis and Para-table tennis, weightlifting and wrestling. 

Sunday Dare, Nigeria's Sports Minister, said these sports were selected after a period of analysis which determined they had the best chance of success.

This means a smaller team than what could have been expected, but Dare said Nigeria will still "compete in a big way" as focus has been placed on athletes who are ranked inside the top 10 or 15 in the world.

Sports where Nigerian athletes are low in the rankings have not been considered this time, following the spell of statistics and number crunching.

In wrestling, Odunayo Adekuoroye will be looking for a third Commonwealth Games gold medal in a row in freestyle, while Tokyo 2020 Olympic silver medallist Blessing Oborududu will also return after topping the podium at Gold Coast 2018.

Table tennis player Quadri Aruna, the men's silver medallist in Gold Coast, is the number one men's singles player in Africa and is ranked 11th in the world.

Athletics will feature long jumper Ese Brume, who won bronze in Tokyo and was Nigeria's only other Olympic medallist in Japan alongside Oborududu.

Ebhojiaye admitted that the COVID-19 pandemic had impacted Nigeria's preparations.

"It affected the training programme of the athletes due to lockdown and restrictions," he said.

"There was the inability to attend some international competitions due to travel bans and quarantine and isolation policies.

"And it affected the world ranking of Nigerian athletes in some sports."

Away from the Commonwealth Games, Ebhojiaye works as a director of the Federations and Elite Athletes Department, in the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports development department.

When asked if the Commonwealth Games is an important event in Nigerian sport, and if he thinks Birmingham 2022 will be a success, Ebhojiaye said: "Yes indeed, yes indeed". 

Papua New Guinea - July 2022

With more than 850 known languages spoken, Papua New Guinea is one of the most diverse countries in the world.

The majority of the near nine million population live within their own indigenous communities, celebrating unique cultures and traditions.

Only around 13 per cent live in towns and cities, but everyone can find a common language in sport.

In 2015, capital city Port Moresby hosted the Pacific Games and Papua New Guinea had a great time, topping the medal table with 88 golds.

They were the leading team at last month's Pacific Mini Games in Saipan as well, finishing first with 33 golds, so will head to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games in good spirits.

"As diverse as we are, Papua New Guineans understand, embrace and celebrate the concept of family," said Michael Henao, the team's Chef de Mission for Birmingham.

"And the Commonwealth Games are like being part of a large family."

Papua New Guinea will be taking 33 athletes to Birmingham 2022 in six sports - athletics, boxing, squash, swimming, table tennis and weightlifting.

Athletes to watch include Dika Toua and Morea Baru in weightlifting and Geoffrey Loi and Tammy Agari in table tennis.

Long jumper Rellie Kaputin and sprinter Toea Wisil will hope to leave their mark in athletics.

Toua boasts three medals from the Commonwealth Games, including the 53 kilograms gold from Glasgow 2014 which was upgraded from silver following a doping disqualification.

She won silver at Melbourne 2006 and Gold Coast 2018, so has finished second on the day at three different Games.

Baru won 62kg silver in Gold Coast as Papua New Guinea finished the event in Australia four years ago with a gold and two silvers.

The gold was won by weightlifter Steven Kari, who defended the 94kg title he claimed in Glasgow.

Kari has now stopped his training, although Papua New Guinea Olympic Committee (PNGOC) President Sir John Dawanincura said the door was still open for him earlier this year.

"We're pleased to announce that the athletes from the six sports are hard in training," said Henao, an PNGOC Executive Committee member.

"Twenty of these athletes returned from the Pacific Mini Games in the Northern Marianas on June 25.

"We are excited that a total of 22 young PNG athletes will debut when they compete in the 20th edition of the Commonwealth Games later this month.

"This will be PNG's 15th Commonwealth Games since we joined the movement in 1961 under the territory of Papua and New Guinea.

"We are pleased that we have a balanced team with experience from our elite athletes and a pool of young ones who will be debuting in the Games."

Papua New Guinea has won five gold medals in its Commonwealth Games history.

The first came courtesy of lawn bowler Geua Tau in Auckland in 1990, while swimmer Ryan Pini, the undoubted star of the home Pacific Games in 2015 thanks to a remarkable seven gold medals, claimed the 100m butterfly title at Melbourne 2006.

"The Commonwealth Games has enabled us to dream big and to achieve bigger, all in pursuit of our nation-building aspirations," Henao, who chairs PNGOC's Fundraising Committee, said.

"The Commonwealth Games are integral to our human development."

Papua New Guinea received a funding boost earlier this month when sponsor Trukai Industries Limited donated PGK344,000 (£81,500/$98,000/€96,000).

The cash came from the sale of this year's Trukai Fun Run t-shirts and is part of the company's annual sponsorship of the PNGOC.

This was followed by a donation of PGK625,000 (£148,000/$177,000/€174,000) from the Government, through the PNG Sports Foundation.

In January, more than 80 people acted as batonbearers as the Queen's Baton Relay visited the country.

After a traditional welcome, the baton was taken to the tomb of Sir Michael Somare, the first Papua New Guinea Prime Minister who is known as the "father of the nation".

His son, also called Michael, was a batonbearer on this part of the route, while the Relay also visited a stilted village after arriving by plane and landing on the river.

Other highlights included a visit to spirit houses, where community ancestors are said to visit and offer spiritual advice.

Papua New Guinea will like to think that people from both past and present will be behind their team in Birmingham.

"When Toea Wisil takes her mark, when Morea Baru grabs the bar, when Rellie Kaputin takes that jump - all of us are there too," said Henao, who is the chairman of the Digicel PNG Foundation.

"Running, lifting and jumping with them. 

"That's what the Commonwealth Games means to Papua New Guineans - the ability to do just that, and more."

Rwanda - June 2022

Sport can be used as a way to mend broken bridges and in Rwanda they certainly hope that is true.

The country is still healing from the heinous events of 1994 when 800,000 members of the Tutsi ethnic group were slaughtered in a Hutu-led genocide.

Those horrendous events over the course of 100 days have inevitably come to define the African country, and are still what most outsiders will think of nearly 30 years on.

But local people are trying to move on and rebuild, and sport is at the centre of those ambitions. 

As well as Tutsi and Hutu and other labels, it is hoped that everyone will simply consider themselves as Rwandans. 

"Because of '94 and the genocide against the Tutsi, we used sport to bring people together," said Jean Jacques Mugisha, the Rwanda Chef de Mission for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

"Sport brings many people together after that time.

"It has been a good tool to unite people after the genocide."

In football, the most popular sport, a tournament called the Peace Cup is held and a number of charitable and humanitarian organisations attempt to get people active as part of their peacekeeping efforts.

One method of bringing people together through exercise is certainly eye-catching. 

"We have car free days," said Mugisha.

"We stop cars for three or four hours in the morning and people go into the street to exercise.

"They run, they use bicycles and, after that, they meet and discuss many things.

"It makes people connected and united.

"Those kind of activities bring people together." 

Mugisha will lead a team of 17 athletes to Birmingham 2022, in athletics, beach volleyball, cycling and swimming.

It will only be the fourth Games for Rwanda, a country which was a colony of both Germany and Belgium but opted to join the largely British-tied Commonwealth of Nations in 2009.

The country has not yet won a medal but has been welcomed firmly into the club.

World leaders are gathering in capital Kigali this week for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), while the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) General Assembly took place there in 2019.

"I can say it has a big impact on our country, economically," said Mugisha on joining the Commonwealth. 

"Being in this family of countries speaking English, it has a lot of impact.

"And hosting the CHOGM means a big event being here in Rwanda."

Rwanda's Government set the ambitious target of having "a higher percentage of population playing sport than in any other African nation".

It wants to be among the "top three African countries in basketball, volleyball, cycling, athletics and Paralympic sports, and the top ten in football".

There was a huge boost in September of last year when the International Cycling Union awarded the 2025 Road World Championships to Kigali, granting the event to Africa for the first time.

CGF President Dame Louise Martin urged Rwanda to bid for the Commonwealth Youth Games when the organisation gathered for the General Assembly.

"It's always good to host the Commonwealth Games family, they are good people ready to hear the discussions," Mugisha said.

"It's a big family that supports each other.

"Hosting the General Assembly here in Rwanda was a big success, because everybody enjoyed their stay and it was a good meeting.

"Many people who came stayed here for a little bit to travel around the country." 

Any Youth Games bid would centre around Kigali Arena, a 10,000-seat indoor stadium which was officially opened by the country's President Paul Kagame in 2019. 

The facility is the largest of its kind in East Africa and part of the process of rebuilding the country after the genocide.

It recently hosted the finals of the Basketball Africa League for the second year in a row, with the REG team plying its trade in Kigali. 

Last year, the men's AfroBasket tournament took place there.

Mugisha, a project manager for the Rwanda Commonwealth Games Association, was also Chef de Mission at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires.

He was team manager at both the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.

"It's a good experience to see the organisation of these Games and work with the athletes, supporting their performance," he said.

Birmingham 2022 is going to be a "big post-COVID event", Mugisha added.

"It will be a good opportunity for us to see the performance of our athletes in a good and organised competition," he said.

"COVID was challenging for our athletes and sport was the last thing to reopen.

"During that time, athletes didn't train or compete abroad.

"But activities have now restarted and we have organised many tournaments, so our athletes can start to compete and get familiar with competition."

Mugisha was among those to attend the Birmingham 2022 Chef de Mission meetings in March.

"I think it will be a successful Games," he said.

"Good facilities, good people, welcoming people...

"Everything was perfect and I think these Games will be great." 

Seychelles - October 2021

As a nation of 115 islands which are scattered about the Indian Ocean, it is perhaps unsurprising that Seychelles has one of the best swimmers in Africa.

In April 2021, Felicity Passon swam between La Digue and Praslin - the second and third most populated islands - before turning around and heading back the other way. 

Her 15 kilometre round trip lasted a little over four hours, and had the aim of raising awareness about mental health.

Passon did not have much time to rest afterwards, though, as later in the year she was heading to the rearranged Olympic Games in Tokyo, where she would serve as the country's flagbearer.

The 22-year-old, who attends the University of Arizona in the United States, competed in the women's 100 metres and 200m backstroke and will be one of the country's athletes to watch at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Passon won both of those events at the 2019 African Games in Morocco, where she claimed four medals in all. She previously appeared at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games but did not race last time out at Gold Coast 2018.

"Mostly we are thinking about athletics and swimming," said Norbert Dogley, the Seychelles Chef de Mission for Birmingham 2022, to insidethegames.

"These are the two sports we are good at - especially swimming. We are strong and we have a good team, the ladies' team and the men's team. 

"These two sports, we think we can win something."

As well as Passon, Dogley highlighted hurdler Ned Azemia, a double Olympian, and Tokyo 2020 butterfly swimmer Simon Bachmann as athletes who are showing promise before Birmingham.

"They are the ones who have benefitted from the Olympic scholarships," he said. "They are training hard."

Seychelles are also due to compete in boxing, cycling and judo at the Commonwealth Games, while they are hoping to qualify in the new sport of 3x3 basketball, beach volleyball, table tennis and weightlifting.

"Our quota is 21 athletes for the time being," said Dogley. "The other sports will need to qualify.

"We are on the right track. We are trying to get things together for the Games."

Most of the top athletes in Seychelles live on the largest and main island of Mahé, with sport starting to return to normal again following the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We were affected a lot with the COVID situation in the Seychelles," Dogley said.

"Preparing for the Olympic Games in Japan, we had a lot of difficulties, but we managed to participate. 

"Sport started again a few months ago, but always we have to test, we have to stay safe. 

"Now we are starting the training. I think we'll be in full swing by 2022."

Dogley served as Seychelles Chef de Mission at the 2018 African Youth Games in Algiers, but this will be his first Commonwealth Games.

He is the President of the Seychelles Handball Federation and would like to see the sport on the Commonwealth programme in the future - a possibility now as future hosts will have a far greater say on what sports are included.

The country will have the honour of welcoming the Queen's Baton Relay over Christmas, something Dogley said they needed to be prepared for.

"We are still working on it," he said. "We are hoping to go to other islands. 

"The schoolchildren will be on holidays at this time, so we are planning to involve them." 

When it comes to the Games itself, Dogley expects the public across the paradise isles to be enthused.

Seychelles has won seven Commonwealth Games medals in its history, but is still awaiting a maiden title after claiming three silvers and four bronze.

Boxer Keddy Agnes won men's super heavyweight bronze in Gold Coast, while the country, which relies heavily on its National Sports Council, has also reached the podium in weightlifting and athletics.

"People in Seychelles normally watch the big Games," Dogley said. "They watch very closely. 

"The media put a lot of emphasis on the athletes, and there's information every day. So people get ready for that.

"The Government will help with our preparation of the athletes. Together with the Olympic Committee, these are the two main partners. We are working together.

"We have a small budget from the Government, but we always get something from them and we have sponsors. 

"We also get assistance from the international bodies. For example in handball we received 600 Swiss francs from the International Handball Federation."

Dogley is hopeful that the Seychelles team - which enjoys large medal hauls every four years at the Indian Ocean Island Games - will be able to stay together at Birmingham 2022.

Organisers have scrapped plans for an Athletes' Village and will instead spread competitors out across the NEC Hotel Campus, the University of Birmingham and the University of Warwick.

"I think we will be welcome as a Commonwealth country," Dogley said. "We are going to have a good Games. 

"Seychelles in two different places is what I have heard, but it's not confirmed yet. We'll see how we go.

"If we can be in one place we can be as a team together. We'll see as we go along if we can be in one venue, but this will depend on the amount of athletes we have."

Sierra Leone - May 2022

For Sierra Leone, the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games could not just be about the sport.

While athletes were competing in the Scottish city, a state of emergency was declared in the African nation due to the spread of Ebola.

Members of Sierra Leone's delegation considered extending their stay in the UK as the deadly virus took hold, and some were forced to take tests to see if they were positive.

Unisa Deen Kargbo, the Chef de Mission, flew to Nanjing after the Games as he was due to reprise his role at the impending Summer Youth Olympics.

It was not to be, however, as Chinese authorities banned Sierra Leone from competing.

"I still remember, we were in Glasgow when the Ebola outbreak was announced and a state of emergency was imposed in our country," said Kargbo, who will also be Chef de Mission at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

"The athletes who were supposed to go to Nanjing for the Youth Olympic Games were stopped from participating. That was devastating.

"We were also stopped from going to the 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games in Samoa. 

"It was damaging for the athletes as they had no opportunity in getting back into sport."

Sierra Leone were still allowed to march at the Opening Ceremony in Nanjing, and as Kargbo was the only person from the country there he had the strange experience of carrying the flag.

"The team was stopped from entering Nanjing," he said. 

"I had the opportunity to go there because I was in the UK when the Ebola outbreak was announced in Sierra Leone. 

"So I flew directly from the UK to Beijing and that was how I entered China. 

"But even though I was coming from the UK, because I was carrying a Sierra Leone passport I was also placed in quarantine with the Nigerians and the Guineans. 

"At the Opening Ceremony, I was the only person there and able to carry the flag of the country. 

"It was unfortunate. When you carry your country's flag, you have to be cheerful, but the manner in which I carried the flag wasn't anything to cheer." 

After losing athletes due to the Ebola crisis, Sierra Leone then had to cope with the coronavirus pandemic.

"When the COVID pandemic was announced, our Government and our medical facilities didn't know how to deal with that," Kargbo, who has served as Sierra Leone's Chef de Mission at major Games since London 2012, said.

"The first thing was they shut down all sports. 

"We only have one stadium and all sports converge there.

"So when that place was shut down, we were not training.

"We don't have many private gyms in Sierra Leone, we all depend on the one gym.

"We don't have a single indoor stadium.

"It's only by the grace that we are able to come back quickly and compete when restrictions were lifted.

"But some athletes did not come back, they went to work during COVID and they lost all their athletic skills."

Sport in Sierra Leone is beginning to emerge from the other side and the loss of athletes has provided opportunities for the next generation.

"We recovered," Kargbo, who is President of the Sierra Leone Paralympic Committee, said.

"Today we are bringing in new athletes.

"We have more young athletes than before and at the Birmingham Games we will be taking more younger athletes than at any other Commonwealth Games.

"They are stronger and they are strong to compete.

"We had no option, as when we had coronavirus we lost most of the big athletes. 

"So we have to go back and train the young athletes, for the Commonwealths, for the African Games and eventually for Paris 2024." 

Sierra Leone is planning to take a team of 30 athletes to Birmingham 2022 in athletics, badminton, boxing, judo, powerlifting, swimming, table tennis and wrestling.

Athletes to watch include sprinters Fatmata Awolo, who is based in the United States, and Hafsatu Kamara.

There is also a good story in boxing after Canadian bantamweight Sara Haghighat-joo opted to switch allegiances to Sierra Leone, where she has a family connection. 

Haghighat-joo has won national amateur titles in both Canada and Ireland, and wants to help develop women's boxing in the African nation.

No athlete from Sierra Leone has won a medal at the Commonwealth Games, but the event is a big deal in the country and considered by Kargbo to be more important than the Olympics.

Only four athletes from the country were able to compete at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics last year, and the bigger team size and greater number of sports available at the Commonwealths sparks a lot of excitement.

"In Sierra Leone, the biggest Games is the Commonwealth Games," said Kargbo.

"That's where we have so many athletes competing, that's where we have many associations competing.

"So the Government has big interest, and the public is also very interested in the Commonwealth Games.

"It's bigger than the Olympics in fact in Sierra Leone.

"The Government is more willing to support the preparation."  

After attending the Birmingham 2022 open days in March, Kargbo believes that organisers are in a good place.

"I was very much impressed with the preparation," he said.

"I was also Chef de Mission for the 2014 Glasgow Games. At the time of the inspection, Birmingham is much more ready. 

"One year to the Games, Glasgow was nowhere near Birmingham.

"So I think Birmingham is ready. I think we are ready for a good Games."

In Birmingham, sport will be able to take centre stage for Sierra Leone, which has competed at 12 Commonwealth Games since debuting in 1958.

The country was declared Ebola-free in March 2016 and local people are moving on.

"We don't talk about it anymore," said Kargbo. "Nobody's thinking about it anymore. 

"And with coronavirus, for the past few months nobody has tested positive in our country. 

"We are normal people again." 

South Africa - July 2022

South Africa is still eyeing a piece of sporting history at this year's Commonwealth Games, despite losing the opportunity to host them.

Swimming legend Chad le Clos will travel to Birmingham with 17 Commonwealth medals in his collection, just one behind the record jointly shared by shooters Philip Adams and Mick Gault.

It means the 30-year-old needs just two more podium finishes to take the record for himself - a feat that seems well within his grasp.

Le Clos, a butterfly and freestyle specialist, won Olympic gold at London 2012 and boasts 14 world titles across the long and short course events.

His Commonwealth Games haul includes seven golds, but if he does break the record in Birmingham it will be bittersweet as he lost the chance to do it in front of home fans in Durban.

The South African city was initially awarded the Games in 2015 and was set to be the first African host in history.

Things quickly went wrong, however, with the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) stripping Durban of the rights in 2017 due to a series of financial problems.

Birmingham stepped in and that is where Le Clos must aim for his unique achievement.

"Chad is without a doubt an icon and a role model for athletes, irrespective of code," said Lwandile Simelane, South Africa's Chef de Mission for Birmingham 2022.

"He's always a fantastic element to have on the team, and he's always a guy who goes out for the country and gives his absolute best.

"It's a great thing to have him in a Games like this where you have a good mixture of youngsters and the more senior athletes like Chad they can look up to.

"He's obviously chasing the medals to become the most highly decorated Commonwealth Games athlete.

"So we're looking forward to him reaching some of those targets."

South Africa will be sending a team of around 300 athletes and officials to Birmingham 2022, but thoughts will inevitably turn to what might have been in Durban.

However, the CGF's new blueprint for the Games, which lists athletics and swimming as the only compulsory sports and allows for the event to be held across multiple cities, could provide cost-saving incentives for the country to bid again.

"We've got to be looking with great interest at how this new model works," said Simelane, the first vice-president of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee.

"Because we definitely hope that we could host a major Games in our near future in South Africa.

"It is a bitter pill to swallow that we could have been welcoming people instead of boarding planes.

"So it is a bit of a different feeling for us. 

"But I definitely don't see any reason why, with improvements in the country and so forth, that South Africa wouldn't be hosting a major Games.

"It's very exciting when we see current hosts coming up with innovations. It gives us hope that we can also find a model that works for us.

"If it goes well then it will be forging a new type of hosting parameter for sport. And any types of innovations should always be welcomed."

The Birmingham 2022 model of multiple Athletes' Villages is also something Simelane wants to look at closely.

"It's something we have to figure out," she said.

"The obvious ripple effect of that is you have to take a few more staff. 

"You need to make sure there is a doctor in every Village, instead of having a few stationed in one Village. 

"So it does increase your staff compliment. I don't think it will do much to kill morale though because I think there's going to be a general consensus of support and being there for each other as a team, irrespective of where you happen to go to sleep at night."

Le Clos will be joined in Birmingham by fellow swimmer Tatjana Schoenmaker, who won the Olympic 200 metres breaststroke title at Tokyo 2020 in a world record time after a golden Commonwealth double at Gold Coast 2018.

Nineteen-year-old Lara van Niekerk won 50m breaststroke bronze at the World Championships in Budapest last month, while there are also hopes in the pool for 18-year-old Matt Sates. 

The teenage pair demonstrate the young talent South Africa is hoping to promote across its squad.

In athletics, Prudence Sekgodiso is a hope in the 800m while sprinter Akani Simbine will defend his 100m title after finishing fourth in Tokyo. 

"We definitely think we have a strong team and exciting prospects," said Simelane. 

"We have a lot of hope in the pool, also with the youngsters.

"For a lot of the athletes, it's a big Games.

"For a number of them it's the opportunity to announce yourself and test yourself on the international stage.

"The first time a lot of people heard of Tatjana was the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.

"So it's definitely an opportunity for the Olympic hopefuls to gauge where they stand."

South Africa also has hopes for its netballers and the team which will contest the first ever women's T20 cricket tournament.

"For netball it is one of the big tournaments for them, because they don't feature in the Olympics," said Simelane.

"Cricket is very exciting. We won a medal in the first ever Olympic surfing competition in Tokyo, so we don't do too bad on the 'first evers'. 

"We look forward to seeing what the Proteas ladies can do in that tournament and we're quite confident. 

"We've got some of the top batters and bowlers in the world, and we're excited about what they can do." 

South Africa will be without star 400m runner Wayde van Niekerk in Birmingham as the world record holder and Rio 2016 Olympic champion has not been named following an injury-hit season.

Caster Semenya is also likely to be missing as she continues her fight against World Athletics rules which prevent her from competing in her favoured 800m and 1500m events, unless she takes testosterone-suppressing medication.

Semenya topped the podium over both distances at Gold Coast 2018 and the double Olympic gold medallist could run in the 5,000m at the World Athletics Championships this month.

She has always been unconditionally supported by South African sport which insists Semenya should simply be treated as a female athlete.

World Athletics has consistently said its rules are necessary to ensure women can participate on fair and equal terms, however.

"Our feelings have always been worn on our sleeves about the treatment of Caster," said Simelane.

"As it sits I don't think she's going to be with us in Birmingham, but we definitely wish her well for trying to get to the World Championships." 

South Africa was badly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic as the country, and the surrounding region, often found itself the subject of travel bans as the rest of the world reacted to the virus.

This was the case after the discovery of the Omicron variant in November, with some claiming that Africa was often unfairly and disproportionately blacklisted. 

Simelane said the situation was better now as the team prepares for Birmingham, and athletes have returned to major global events.

"Everybody had the ordinary limitations that every country has had," she said.

"I don't think we have experienced it as badly as we did for Tokyo for example, where we had a number of travel bans, so our athletes couldn't even get out to the international stage to try and qualify and compete. 

"Regulations in this country have had an effect, but it hasn't been as debilitating as for the Tokyo team.

"It was quite limited for a number of athletes to not be able to participate in some world events. 

"It's been an experience and a half, and hopefully we're behind it. It seems a lot of travel restrictions have been lifted. 

"Hopefully everyone is where they need to be."

South Africa won 13 golds in Gold Coast and 37 medals in all.

"We don't like to put pressure on the team but naturally people will say 'this is what you did in Gold Coast' so we definitely want to match it or better," said Simelane.

"Gold Coast was a good showing.

"You had youngsters like Tatjana announcing herself to the world, and those are the types of things, particularly at a Commonwealth Games, you get very excited about.

"It was exciting to see all of these youngsters, who didn't really know how good they were, now getting a bit of validation and a bit of understanding on how far in their preparedness they were to take on the Olympics. 

"It's exciting to watch that development happen in real time."

South Africa will have more women than men in its Birmingham 2022 squad and is proud of the opportunities the Commonwealth Games provides for both female and Para-athletes.

"The inclusion of some of these codes does make the Commonwealth Games this year a very gender inclusive Games," said Simelane. 

"We're also excited to have a Games where you can have your Para-athletes and able-bodied at one event. 

"So we do have a great compliment of Para-athletes coming through as well.

"That's such a guiding light for us and I'm grateful that as a country we also took on that opportunity and we didn't waste that chance. 

"We ensured that as best as possible we have balanced the field ourselves, to give the ladies equal opportunities and the Para-athletes who have events in their classifications the chance to qualify. 

"We're looking forward to being part of the inclusive Games and delivering an inclusive team ourselves."

Simelane, also a vice-president of South Africa Hockey, will be serving as Chef de Mission for the first time.

"It's my first shot at it and I hope I do justice to the position," she said.

"For me, the goal is simple. 

"Myself and the Games management team for South Africa need to give the athletes the best possible experience and the best possible logistical environment for them to be able to focus on results." 

St Helena - February 2022

When the British needed somewhere remote for the exile of Napoleon Bonaparte - a place from where return was impossible - they opted for St Helena.

The rocky, volcanic island in the South Atlantic Ocean is one of the most isolated places on earth, and home to a population of just 4,500 people.

An airport only opened on St Helena in 2017, meaning the residents, and the island's Commonwealth Games team, were completely dependent on ships.

When travelling to Glasgow 2014, it took the squad 11 days to reach the Scottish city, starting with a voyage to Cape Town and then two flights via Amsterdam.

Their epic trip was the subject of a BBC documentary and when they arrived they received a hero's welcome.

"Five days on a ship is like 10 days on land as time goes really slowly," said Nick Stevens, the President of the St Helena Commonwealth Games Association (SHCGA), to insidethegames.

"It was four star hotel facilities, cabin and dining and so on.

"It was quite small, and you've got to try and occupy the team.

"There was a really small gym, probably two metres by three metres, and a small swimming pool.

"The swimmer that was travelling, it was one stroke and he was across the pool.

"We couldn't actually train on board as such."

The ship, the RMS St Helena, no longer serves the island.

"It was comfortable travel and it was part of our DNA at the time," said Stevens. "It's been a huge loss, but having the airport does make things easier."

For Birmingham 2022, St Helena has selected an 11-strong team in athletics, badminton and swimming.

Stevens, who has been President of the CGA since 2014, will carry out the team's Chef de Mission work until the eve of the Games in July before passing over to Michelle Yon.

The squad will fly to Johannesburg and spend the night there before boarding another plane to London Heathrow, and will take part in an 18-day training camp in Cheltenham after arriving in England.

This will be a key period of preparation for the team, as St Helena only has basic sports facilities. 

"We've got a swimming pool that's 33 metres long, an outdoor pool," said Stevens. 

"It has blocks but we have to put them in and out whenever the swimmers want to use them. They need to be installed and then uninstalled at the end.

"The running track is a grass track at the only sports field we have on the island. That is in really bad shape at the moment, there's puddles, it's dug up by rabbits...

"That's why the pre-Games training camp is important for our athletes to develop. That will be the only chance prior to the Games to run on a proper track or swim in a 50 metre pool."

St Helena does not receive Government funding for sport so fundraising is essential, but this is not easy when so few people live on the island.

One of the reasons Stevens will be passing on Chef de Mission duties is so he will have time to network and attempt to find more investment.

"We're looking to improve our sporting infrastructure here on the island," he said. "The only way we can do that is to obtain external funding. 

"We are constantly contacting organisations like FIFA, and so on, to try and help with being able to develop our facilities."

St Helena also competes at the Island Games, which it has to fund itself, but with the Commonwealth Games there are grants to cover all costs.

Even this has been a problem with Birmingham 2022, however, after flights from the airport were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Services are due to resume next month, but initially there will only be fortnightly departures to Johannesburg instead of the usual weekly trips.

"This doesn't correspond with our travel plans, so we have to leave a week earlier and return a week later," said Stevens, who also heads up the island's Football Association.

"That has an impact on the grants that we receive for our pre-Games training and travel. 

"We're fundraising now as we're short about £8,000 ($11,000/€9,500)."

In 2019, a remarkable £70,000 ($95,000/$84,000) was raised in nine months to take a football team to Wales, for what was St Helena's first international tournament.

But it's not just investment that the island can gain from its trips overseas, as mingling with the powerhouse nations also leads to invaluable knowledge which can improve performances on the field.

"Being able to form relationships with officials from some of the bigger CGAs is a big thing," said Stevens. 

"My son has been travelling with the team since 2014 and has made good friends with athletes from Jamaica and so on, and they correspond with him. 

"There's so much we've learned from coaches of bigger nations. It's not only athletes who can learn, it's people like ourselves who get help from UK based countries or other big nations.

"We can take that knowledge back to the island to improve our future athletes. So that's key." 

For Stevens, networking has not come better than meeting sprint superstar Usain Bolt. The pair presented the medals for the women's 200 metres together at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.

"He came into the call room when we were waiting to go down," Stevens said.

"I started a conversation with him and said 'you know, we've got something in common, we're both Manchester United fans'.

"So we talked Manchester United until we went out to present the medals."

Football is popular in St Helena, and England's Premier League especially. All of the matches are shown live, including the 3pm kick-offs on a Saturday which are subject to a television blackout in the UK.

Stevens, who said he was "frustrated" by United's current displays, dedicates his life to sport on St Helena.

The island first competed at the Commonwealth Games in Brisbane in 1982, but was then absent for 16 years until returning at Kuala Lumpur 1998.

They have been ever-present since then and have regularly sent shooters to the Games, a sport which will not be on the programme this year.

The Birmingham squad is a mixture of athletes who were born in St Helena or have family links to the island.

Some history will be achieved in Birmingham, including the first female swimmers to depart for the Games from St Helena itself.

Caroline Lawrence, who swam in Brisbane, is from Ascension Island, which is around 800 miles from St Helena but part of the same British territory alongside Tristan da Cunha.

Aiden Yon-Stevens, Nick's son, will compete in the 400 metres in Birmingham as the first athletics competitor to be born in St Helena.

Sprinter Sean Crowie, who raced over 100 metres and 200m at Gold Coast 2018 and has been selected again, is based in England.

At Melbourne 2006, Errol Duncan ran his first marathon at the age of 45. The runner from Ascension received a huge reception from the crowd and high-fived spectators before coming home as the last of the 14 athletes who finished the race. He was nearly 20 minutes slower than his nearest rival.

The island's isolation does come with its advantages as no COVID-19 cases have been recorded in the local community.

This means the wave of measures likely to be in place at Birmingham 2022 to deter coronavirus infections will be something of a culture shock.

"That's the biggest issue we've got," said Stevens. 

"We haven't used masks, we haven't had to social distance. 

"So that will be something new for the team. 

"We had a meeting with athletes and we said the risk of us contracting COVID is pretty high when we arrive in the UK. 

"We put out all the risks which are there. Living like you guys have been living in the UK for the past two years will be alien for our team." 

The isolation also means that the Queen's Baton Relay was celebrated enthusiastically when it arrived in St Helena in December.

For Gold Coast 2018, the Relay could not visit because of issues with the airstrip, so for Birmingham they made up for lost time.

Included on the itinerary was a trip to see Jonathan, a 189-year-old giant tortoise believed to be the oldest living land creature in the world. 

The baton was also taken to Diana's Peak, the highest point on the island, and up Jacob's Ladder, a steep 699-step staircase which ascends up the cliffs from the capital Jamestown.

It was also taken out to sea and then underwater to the wreck of the SS Papanui, while every school pupil on the island had the chance to interact with the baton.

St Helena is currently enjoying whale shark season, with its marine life a popular attraction for both tourists and locals.

"The sea is warm and safe," said Stevens.

Subsidies from the British Government are key, while industries to complement tourism include tuna and coffee.

Stevens, who has been part of the CGA since 2008, was Chef de Mission at Gold Coast 2018 and general team manager at Glasgow 2014.

As with all small teams, the Opening Ceremony will be a particular highlight for the island in Birmingham but there are fears family members won't be able to secure seats to watch their relatives in action.

Birmingham 2022 will be shown in St Helena, which receives South Africa's SuperSport channels, although internet speeds can be slow.

"Isolation does come with challenges, travel is an issue," Stevens, who runs a local youth club, said.

"The cost of living is expensive, food is expensive. 

"But then there's the freedom for the young people to live free from crime, and free from COVID.

"My car is parked in the street and I don't lock my car. The windows in my house are open.

"Christmas is always fantastic here on the island as St Helenians make an effort to come back, the population increases and everyone has a great time.

"The weather is great all year round, it doesn't get too hot and it doesn't get too cold.

"So there are a lot of good things."

Tanzania - May 2022

In 1974, Tanzania won its first Commonwealth Games gold medal in truly spectacular style.

Many people in Christchurch had not heard of Filbert Bayi, or even his country which they confused with Tasmania in Australia.

But the 1500 metres runner was the name on everybody's lips after he stormed to gold in 3min 32.2sec, a world record time.

Bayi ran from the front at the New Zealand city's Queen Elizabeth II Park, and crossed the line nearly a second quicker than American Jim Ryun's previous world best.

Revered British commentator David Coleman described his performance as "perhaps the most devastating piece of front-running by any athlete in a middle-distance race".

Roger Bannister, famous for clocking the first sub-four minute mile, called it "the greatest run I have ever seen".

Now the secretary general of the Tanzania Olympic Committee (TOC), Bayi was denied the chance to add Olympic gold in 1976 due to the African boycott of the Games in Montreal.

But his Christchurch performance remains etched in Tanzanian sporting folklore, and at the Commonwealth Games it has never been surpassed. 

"We still hold the Commonwealth record for the 1500 metres set in Christchurch in New Zealand in 1974," said Henry Tandau, Tanzania's Chef de Mission for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, to insidethegames.

"I think that record should go into the Guinness Book of Records - a good 48 years!

"I am not sure there is another record in the Commonwealth Games that has stood for that long." 

Bayi went on to win a silver medal at the Moscow 1980 Olympics, and his display was indeed the last world record set on the track at the Commonwealth Games.

England's marathon runner Ian Thompson also set a Commonwealth Games record in Christchurch, however, which again still stands and was clocked two days earlier.

Tanzania has competed at every Commonwealth Games since Kingston 1966, with the exception of the heavily-boycotted Edinburgh 1986.

The country has claimed six gold, six silver and nine bronze medals, but has not stepped onto the podium since Samson Ramadhani won the men's marathon in Melbourne in 2006.

"The Commonwealth Games is where Tanzania has fared well so far in all international multi-event competitions it has taken part in," Tandau said. 

"So yes, the Commonwealth Games are a big event in Tanzania."

Tanzania is expecting to take 17 athletes to Birmingham 2022, including six men and three women in athletics.

The country is also due to field three boxers, two judokas, two swimmers and a powerlifter. 

"They have all trained well and we therefore expect all of them to do well," said Tandau. 

"It would be unfair for me to single out one particular athlete as the one to watch out for."

As vice-president of the TOC, Tandau had the Chef de Mission role for Birmingham automatically bestowed on him.

He also took the job for last year's rearranged Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where the country fielded a team of three in athletics. 

Alphonce Simbu was the star performer in Japan, finishing seventh in the men's marathon.

"The current constitution of the Tanzania Olympic Committee places the overseeing of Team Tanzania participation in international multi-sport events as the responsibility of the vice-president," said Tandau.

In 1999, Tandau was deputy Chef de Mission at the African Games in Johannesburg, assisting Masauni Yusuph.

"I learnt a lot from him," he said.

Tandau then stepped up to Chef de Mission for the 2007 African Games in Algiers.

"Apart from that I am an instructor for sports management," he said.

"My special interests are strategic planning, marketing and communication and event management."

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted Tanzania, but Tandau believes there are reasons to be positive.

"Like in many other countries it has had its share of negative effects," he said. "But we are coping well.

"As you know Tanzania took part in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, without any COVID-19 effects to our team. 

"So we do have some experience on how to handle the situation."

Football is the most popular sport in Tanzania, while Tandau has expressed an ambition for the country to win an Olympic medal at Paris 2024.

This means that Birmingham 2022 will be an important staging post for the country en-route to the Games in the French capital.

In November, the Queen's Baton Relay visited Tanzania and President Samia Suluhu Hassan was among those to get involved.

Tandau believes that the successful completion of last year's Olympics bodes well for organisers in Birmingham, who will be working under fewer restrictions than their counterparts in Japan and will be able to welcome back full crowds. 

"I hope and pray that it becomes successful," he said. 

"It will mostly depend on the organisers and the Commonwealth Games Federation.

"Planning and proper execution are key to the success of any event. 

"Paying attention to details, even what seems to be very minor, is important. 

"If Tokyo 2020 was successful, with a bigger number of events and participants, I see no excuse why Birmingham 2022 should not be successful." 

The Gambia - June 2022

The Gambia has only won a solitary bronze medal in its Commonwealth Games history but will travel to Birmingham 2022 with Africa's fastest woman.

Twenty-seven-year-old Gina Bass won gold in the 100 metres at the African Athletics Championships in Mauritius in June, becoming the first person from the country to win a senior continental title in track and field.

Bass clocked 11.08sec to triumph - a time which would also have seen her win gold at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.

She reached the Tokyo 2020 Olympic semi-finals in both the 100m and 200m and won the African Games title over the longer distance in 2019.

"We are all celebrating Gina," said Bakary Jammeh, The Gambia's Chef de Mission for Birmingham 2022.

"Gina is now becoming a cult figure. 

"She's the African champion and she's going to really be our leader at the Commonwealth Games. 

"We hope we see a good performance, and get a medal."

Bass also helped The Gambia to bronze in the 4x100m relay in Mauritius.

"It's quite a build up to the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham," Jammeh, who will be Chef de Mission for the first time, added.

"Football is certainly the number one sport here in terms of participation and support, and wrestling is our national sport. 

"But because of Gina Bass people are now looking at athletics."

Jammeh is due to oversee a team of 16 athletes in Birmingham, including seven in track and field.

The country has also selected two judoka, two swimmers, two boxers, a beach volleyball duo and a powerlifter.

Sainey Jawo and Mbye Babou Jarra, the beach volleyball team, will travel in good form after winning the Commonwealth Games qualifier held in Ghana in March.

"Our beach volleyball team are African champions during the qualification for Birmingham 2022," said Jammeh. 

"They are also having some traction. 

"Because of the good work of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) and the respective associations, now we are moving away from being only a football nation, and these other sports are coming up."

Birmingham 2022 will be The Gambia's second Games back after the country rejoined the Commonwealth of Nations in 2018.

Former President Yahya Jammeh had taken the nation out of the organisation in 2013, after claiming it would "never be a member of any neo-colonial institution".

However, Adama Barrow became President in 2017 and promptly applied to return.

It meant The Gambia could compete at Gold Coast 2018 but they missed the Glasgow 2014 Games.

"That was an unfortunate incident which was a political decision," Bakary Jammeh said.

"Everyone involved in sport really felt missing the Glasgow Games.

"Losing that was really unfortunate for us, but now that's behind us. 

"We are back in, this is our second Games back. We are approaching these Games very seriously."

Jammeh added that the Commonwealth of Nations is an important part of Gambian life.

"It is not just sport, Gambia has benefited from the Commonwealth in many ways, from cultural ties through to trading," he said.

"The Gambia has always been part of the Commonwealth and we feel at home in the Commonwealth.

"When we gained independence in 1965, we still didn't have complete self governance until 1970. 

"Many people, including myself, have been educated through the Commonwealth through technical cooperation at that time. 

"So we have a special attachment to the Commonwealth, which is linked to our history as a nation. 

"As The Queen is the head of the Commonwealth, a lot of us have ties to England and the UK generally. 

"The Commonwealth has a special place in our heart." 

Bass and other Gambian athletes have been training abroad due to challenges with funding and facilities. 

"We have two problems, the first is infrastructure for athletes to train and compete," said Jammeh, a vice-president of the Gambian Football Federation.

"It is nearly nonexistent. In our national stadium, there is only one standard track. It lacks other facilities like a gym, an Olympic sized pool for the swimmers...

"Infrastructure is a problem that we really have to grapple with.

"Secondly, funding for sports in all aspects. Athletes having the right diet, having the right physical programme...

"Sport is underfunded. The NOC do try and the Government through the Ministry of Youth and Sports do try, but it's a major constraint in this part of the world.

"A lot of our athletes who are going to take part in Birmingham are training outside of the country because of scholarships and other bilateral arrangements the NOC has."

These are problems which other countries in Africa will be able to identify with.

"We are born as natural athletes," said Jammeh. "Most Africans, including The Gambia, have the right weight and height, and the interest. 

"But when it comes to the techniques and the tactics that you have to learn and develop, and develop those in controlled environments, those don't exist."

The Gambia is the smallest country in mainland Africa and is surrounded on three sides by Senegal.

It is a long and thin nation which is dominated by the River Gambia, which flows directly through the centre.

In 1970, the country debuted at the Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh where Sheikh Tidiane Faye marked the occasion with bronze in the men's high jump.

They were absent when the 1986 Games returned to the Scottish capital but have competed at every other edition, with the exception of Glasgow.

The visit of the Queen's Baton Relay for Birmingham 2022 included a cruise down the river and a stop at the Banjul Beach Coconut Project, an initiative aimed at protecting the coastline by planting coconut trees.

"Our country is the river, we got our name from the Gambia river," said Jammeh, who studied in Birmingham in the early 1980s so knows the host city well.

"Many people develop their swimming skills in the river. 

"We don't have pools except for homes or in hotels, so you harness your skill of swimming in the river, including myself.

"The Baton Relay was an amazing event.

"It was an opportunity to show our land, our river, our people and our culture. 

"The baton was received with cheers and by officials of the NOC and Government. 

"There was close participation with the British High Commission. 

"It left an indelible mark and experience for us as a country. Any time we have the baton is special."

Like other nations, The Gambia's preparations for Birmingham 2022 have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

"COVID has disrupted lives all over the world and The Gambia is no exception," Jammeh said. 

"We had a complete shutdown of all sporting activities at some stage during the pandemic. 

"Until now, all the restrictions are not completely lifted. 

"COVID has affected the livelihood of nearly everybody, and this has impacted negatively on competitions and preparations for these Games.

"Now that the green light has been given for people to go back and train and compete, slowly we are getting there." 

Senegal, which will host the 2026 Summer Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, has inevitable close links to The Gambia with the Atlantic coast the only part of the country which does not border its neighbour.

"Senegal and The Gambia are the same people, until the British and the French agreed to cooperate," Jammeh said.

"The British were interested in the river and they formed a country around it, and the rest was left for the French. 

"Our difference is only the official language. 

"I have cousins who are Senegalese, and you will hardly see any Gambian household that has not got relatives in Senegal. 

"We cooperate a lot. Because our national stadium is not certified by the Confederation of African Football, we recently had to play South Sudan in Senegal."

Jammeh was among those to attend the Birmingham 2022 Chef de Mission meetings in March.

"The organisation is really very good," he said.

"There's great cooperation between Birmingham City Council, the UK Government and the organisation. 

"We had the opportunity to not only sit down and discuss the Games, but visit nearly all the sites and the Villages. 

"From what we have seen we are very satisfied that there is going to be a great experience for athletes and fans.

"It's so far, so good and we are preparing to make our mark in Birmingham. 

"Outside the Africa Cup of Nations, I would put the Commonwealth Games as the second biggest event because we have the biggest number of athletes going and the biggest number of sports, because of the qualification criteria when compared to the Olympics."

Uganda - January 2022

When Joshua Cheptegei crossed the line first to win gold in the 5,000 metres at Tokyo 2020, he confirmed Uganda's best-ever Olympic performance.

The now 25-year-old, who was running with a heel injury, had been forced to settle for silver over 10,000m but could not be caught over half the distance in front of a deserted Olympic Stadium.

Cheptegei, the world record holder in both the 5,000m and 10,000m, was not a surprise winner with a world title and Commonwealth Games success already on his CV.

But his gold followed a bonus Uganda victory in the women's 3,000m steeplechase, where Peruth Chemutai came home for a shock title.

Most of the attention had been on past world champions Beatrice Chepkoech, Emma Coburn and Hyvin Kiyeng but Chemutai got the better of all of them to become Uganda's first female Olympic gold medallist.

Never before had Uganda won two golds at the same Olympics, while the four medals won in total was also a record.

Uganda finished 36th on the medal table and were the second best team from Africa, behind only Kenya.

The success has whetted the appetite for sport in the country and work is underway to ensure that the good times continue at the next major event on the calendar - the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games in July and August.

"We have never been that successful at the Olympics," said Moses Mwase, the Uganda Chef de Mission for Birmingham 2022, to insidethegames. 

"It set the bar very high and expectations are equally high for the Commonwealth Games. 

"People are excited so we need to ensure that the building blocks are all in place. 

"We are certainly expectant as far as the medals are concerned. We want to defend the medals we won at Gold Coast 2018, and also get some more, but not only in athletics. We are setting our eyes on medals in different sporting disciplines."

Uganda is planning to send a delegation of between 120 and 140 people to Birmingham, with places already confirmed in athletics, swimming, badminton, boxing, cycling and netball.

In netball, where the country are ranked sixth in the world, there are hopes of upsetting the sport's dominant trio of Australia, England and New Zealand and gate-crashing the podium.

There are also hopes of qualifying in 3x3 basketball, rugby sevens, table tennis and weightlifting.

At the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, Uganda won three gold medals including a memorable 5,000m/10,000m double from Cheptegei.

"It was a proud moment," said Mwase, who was the country's general manager at the Games in Australia.

"We were proud to be Ugandan, it was a surreal moment. 

"I remember very vividly the victory ceremony, we were shouting ourselves hoarse because we were so proud. 

"We would love to have a repeat of that. Cheptegei inspired many young athletes and we look forward to re-living those glorious days by continuing to support our athletes in every way possible."

Uganda is hoping the country's track stars will all compete in Birmingham, but the close proximity of the World Athletics Championships in Oregon has caused a logistical headache. 

Birmingham 2022 is due to open just four days after the end of the flagship World Athletics event on July 28, meaning it is unclear whether athletes will compete at both.

As well as Cheptegei and Chemutai, Ugandan talents to watch out for include Jacob Kiplimo, the Olympic 10,000m bronze medallist in Tokyo whose superb shift over half the distance helped power his more illustrious team-mate to his title.

At Gold Coast 2018, Stella Chesang won women's 10,000m gold.

"It's desirable to have our best team and obviously we're working to ensure that they are available," said Mwase, a vice-president of the Ugandan Olympic Committee and the President of the country's swimming federation.

"World Athletics are holding their key competition around the same time in Oregon, so we are working to ensure the Commonwealth Games are attractive for our athletes to be able to come, also from a patriotic point of view for them to come and ensure that the Ugandan flag continues to fly high. 

"It's a work in progress, and we need to deal with several things that impact high-level athletes like Cheptegei. 

"We had some lovely surprises in Tokyo, in Peruth Chemutai, and we're hoping to carry through the same and build on that.

"If we can synchronise the calendars for the athletes and enable them to compete at events while winning, that's something which will enable us I think to leave Birmingham 2022 with wide smiles on our faces." 

Uganda's Tokyo 2020 performance has been noticed by the Government, and sporting officials are confident they will be backed on the road to Birmingham with increased funding. Sporting budgets had been slashed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Plans to build new facilities - including two stadiums being bankrolled by the Chinese Government - are also said to be back on track following delays caused by coronavirus. 

"We have prepared a schedule with major timelines of things that we need to have in place, to get Uganda ready for the Commonwealth Games," said Mwase.

"We are scheduling some follow up meetings with the different federations.

"The other thing we are working on is to ensure we get our funding ready. We get funding support from the Government and we have prepared a budget which I need to discuss with them. 

"I'm hoping to do that in the coming weeks and we're hoping to lock that in by the end of January. Obviously, after the success of the Olympics, the Government is very much interested in funding this and they have given their commitment.

"So we're working out the figures, the numbers.

"This excites us and should enable us to prepare better and put our best foot forward for Birmingham 2022."

Mwase competed in numerous sports at amateur level - describing himself as a "jack of all trades" - and studied at the ISDE Business School of Law in Madrid.

Uganda has already welcomed the Queen's Baton Relay for Birmingham 2022 which helped build enthusiasm for the Games. The celebrations included an appearance from the first lady and a visit to a chimpanzee sanctuary near Lake Victoria.

"The Commonwealth Games have gained a lot of traction, especially after Gold Coast 2018," Mwase said. 

"Everyone is looking forward to it and you can tell from the Queen's Baton Relay that the whole country is in tune and is following it. 

"It's the second biggest after the Olympics.

"Obviously our biggest point of nervousness is COVID, everyone just wants things to get back to normal. 

"We are hoping that Birmingham will be the very first Games where we will have a 'real' sporting event. 

"We had a very weird Olympics, a very unusual Olympics, in Tokyo. 

"It was different to what we are accustomed to. We are just hoping that Birmingham will bring a little bit of normalcy. 

"But of course we know that with COVID things might just never be the same. So we'll make do with what is available and what the organisers can manage to put in place." 

Zambia - March 2022

Zambia's President will be taking a keen interest in this year's Commonwealth Games, because he knows the host city well.

Hakainde Hichilema studied finance and business strategy at the University of Birmingham and will now watch the country's athletes compete on his old stomping ground.

The attention of the African nation's seventh President is something sporting officials in Zambia have been able to harness to generate interest in the Games.

"He has a very special interest and is very passionate about his former university," said Victor Banda, the Zambia Chef de Mission for Birmingham 2022, to insidethegames.

"He talks about it, and that has given us an opportunity to market ourselves, and to market the Games that are taking place. 

"Everyone is now looking forward to the Games.

"We're very excited and that's why we are doing all things possible to prepare the athletes so they will be part of the Commonwealth Games.

"Hopefully we will win a medal which can be presented to the country and President." 

Zambia's team size for Birmingham 2022 is currently 24 athletes, although this could increase as the country is still involved in rugby sevens qualifying for both men and women.

Confirmed sports are athletics, swimming, judo, boxing, cycling and squash, while teams could also qualify in beach volleyball.

Athletes to watch include Sydney Siame, the 200 metres gold medallist from the 2019 African Games in Rabat.

His success in the Moroccan capital saw him named as the best male athlete of the Games by the Association of National Olympic Committees.

Siame won the 100m title at the 2014 Summer Youth Olympics in Nanjing, and graduated to the full Games at Tokyo 2020 last year.

Sprinter Roda Njobvu also raced in Tokyo, while African Games medallists Everisto Mulenga, a featherweight boxer, and Tilka Paljk, a swimmer, are others hoping to impress.

"They have the experience and we hope they will improve by the time of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham," said Banda.

Zambia has won four golds and 39 medals in its Commonwealth Games history, and competed as Northern Rhodesia until 1970.

They drew a blank at Gold Coast 2018 which is something Banda would like to put right.

"Having come back from the 2018 Games without a medal, we have made a strategic plan which will run up until 2024," he said. 

"We are looking at which core sports can give us medals. 

"I think for Birmingham 2022 it is a must that Zambia should come up with a medal, which would be very, very exciting to our President. 

"It would be a wonderful gift to get a medal from Birmingham. 

"And that's why we are working around the clock to prepare our athletes."

The Queen's Baton Relay for Birmingham 2022 visited the famous Victoria Falls during its visit to Zambia, and the country marked Commonwealth Day a week later than planned due to the death of a former President.

Banda was Chef de Mission at the 2019 African Games and is also an Executive Board member of the National Olympic Committee of Zambia, where he sits as treasurer.

Other roles include President of the Handball Association of Zambia - a sport he would like to see added to the Commonwealth Games programme.

"I'm very, very happy and delighted that my fellow Board members gave me this opportunity to be Chef de Mission for one of the biggest sports events in the world," said Banda. 

"It's a challenge for me and I like these challenges. 

"If I come up with a medal, other Chef de Missions would have to beat my record! 

"We have assembled a very, very good team, with the Games administrator and Games team manager. 

"I think what is important is good preparation. If we prepare well, then we are going to achieve what we want. 

"This is my second assignment as Chef de Mission and we hope to do things in a transparent manner and in the correct way."  

Football is the most popular sport in Zambia, with the country's men claiming a stunning triumph at the Africa Cup of Nations in 2012.

This was a particularly poignant victory after 18 national team players were among those killed in a plane crash in 1993.

In 1988, Cercle Brugge player Kalusha Bwalya was named Africa Footballer of the Year.

Despite being a regular for Zambia, he was fortuitously not on the ill-fated flight as he was travelling to join the team independently from The Netherlands, where he was playing for PSV Eindhoven. 

Zambia's women's team played at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics where Barbra Banda became an instant star after scoring hat-tricks in two games - a 10-3 defeat to the Dutch and a 4-4 draw with China.

Banda said that his namesake highlighted the growing prominence of female athletes in Zambia, but added that other sports were catching up with football's popularity.

"Football is the most common sport and the most watched sport, but other sports are coming up," he said. 

"We have judo, we have boxing, we have swimming and handball. 

"Having the 200 metres champion at the African Games is an achievement for athletics...

"For now we can say it's football, but there is very much improvement in terms of other sports. 

"Now the youth have the opportunity to choose out of the various sports they can participate in."

Encouraging youth is an important aim for sport in Zambia.

Former athletes such as Bwalya, and 1991 world 400m hurdles champion Samuel Matete, are involved in bringing through the next crop of talent.

Matete, an Olympic silver medallist who still holds the African record in the 400m hurdles of 47.10 seconds, set in 1991, was among those to travel with the country's athletes to Tokyo 2020.

"We are very grateful, they are available at any time and they are helping in terms of talent identification," said Banda. 

"In terms of motivation to be better athletes in the future." 

COVID-19 had an impact in Zambia but things are starting to return to normal in the lead-up to Birmingham 2022.

"Our athletes are vaccinated and the Minister of Youth and Sport, together with the Minister of Health, are seeing to it that as our athletes are training, they are following the health guidelines," Banda said. 

"All in all I think our preparations are going well. 

"All things are open in terms of sports activities, they are able to compete among themselves. 

"They can go on with their international calendars." 

Banda has predicted a positive event with Birmingham 2022 set to take place in front of large crowds.

"It should be one of the best organised events," he said.

"I think we are heading towards a very successful Commonwealth Games in Birmingham." 

Bangladesh - July 2022

Bangladesh returned home from the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games with a pair of silver medals, which for them represented a good result.

Despite being home to nearly 170 million people, the Asian country has struggled to make an impact on the international sporting stage.

Any podium finish is therefore celebrated wildly, with their double success in Gold Coast the first time they had achieved two medals at a single Games since Auckland 1990.

Bangladesh has won two golds, four silvers and two bronzes in its Commonwealth Games history and all have come in shooting.

In Gold Coast, Abdullah Hel Baki finished second in the men's 10 metre air rifle and Shakil Ahmed matched him in the men's 50m air pistol.

The decision to axe the sport from Birmingham 2022 was therefore felt keenly, just as it was in the country's neighbour India.

"Shooting is our best sport and is unfortunately not here this time," said Bangladesh's Birmingham Chef de Mission Abdur Rokib.

"So for our athletes we just hope for their best performance."

Bangladesh's two Commonwealth gold medals came in the 50m pistol pairs in Auckland and Asif Hossain Khan's air rifle success at Manchester 2002.

Rokib, the general secretary of the Bangladesh Athletics Federation, has travelled to Birmingham 2022 directly from the World Athletics Championships in Oregon.

He will be overseeing around 30 athletes in athletics, boxing, gymnastics, swimming, table tennis, weightlifting and wrestling.

In the absence of shooting, weightlifter Mabia Akhter, a South Asian Games champion, will be among those to watch.

Gymnast Ali Kader Haque has travelled from New Zealand, meanwhile, where he is based.

Bangladesh first attended the Commonwealth Games in Edmonton in 1978 but the country missed the next two editions.

They have been ever-present since Auckland 1990.

In January, the Queen's Baton Relay visited the country where, perhaps in a nod to the disappointment about the axing of the sport, both Gold Coast shooting medallists carried it.

The Relay also visited the National Martyrs Monument, a girls' college and a national sports institute.

It was greeted by a colourful scene of dancers and musicians. 

Then, under a clear blue sky, dozens of students lined up in a grid formation to demonstrate their judo skills. 

Brunei Darussalam - July 2022

Brunei Darussalam will compete in two sports at Birmingham 2022, with most of their attention due to be on the lawn bowls greens.

Six bowlers have been selected for the Games, but there will also be one weightlifter as the country continues a Commonwealth Games tradition which stretches back to Auckland in 1990.

Bahren bin Abdul Rahman, Mohd Hazmi bin Haji Idris, Haji Osman bin Haji Yahya and Haji Amli bin Haji Gafar will compete in the men's fours at the bowls, which will take place in Royal Leamington Spa.

They will be joined by Esmawandy binti Brahim and Norafizah binti Matossen in the women's pairs category.

Mohammad Nashrul bin Haji Abu Bakar is the sole weightlifter competing after qualifying in Singapore in March.

He will compete at 61 kilograms.

"This is one of the Games we are looking forward to," said Brunei's Chef de Mission Amal Matjinen to insidethegames.

"Four years back, when we competed in Gold Coast, we were doing some strategy in order to ensure that we were moving towards Birmingham 2022.

"It's not only Brunei who is looking forward to it, but also the different nations and territories."

Bakar has an interesting story after moving from football to weightlifting.

"He used to be playing a different sport and I think his moment has come now he is doing weightlifting," said Matjinen.

"He was aiming towards this Commonwealth Games and it's already in his heart I would say.

"He is a very focussed athlete, he is a very dedicated athlete. He dedicates all of his effort to weightlifting and Birmingham 2022.

"One of his regrets in life is not focussing so much on the strength and conditioning when he was in sports school.

"He is trying to break his personal record."

The bowls team, meanwhile, have had one eye on the warm British weather last week which saw temperatures rise to 40 degrees Celsius in some places.

Although things have cooled down since then, the Brunei team is taking no chances, despite coming from a place which is normally much hotter than Britain.

"We heard about the heatwave that's going on in the UK," Matjinen said.

"In Brunei the temperature is always 31, 32...

"They [the bowlers] have been training so they are ready for the heat in the UK.

"So that the climate doesn't affect their technique." 

COVID-19 has impacted Brunei's preparations, as with every country and territory appearing at the Games.

"They were training on and off and the [bowls] greens weren't really open during that time," Matjinen said.

Matjinen will be serving as Chef de Mission for the first time in Birmingham, with her team having to travel via Singapore and Dubai to reach the host city. 

She is the women's representative on the Brunei Darussalam National Olympic Council Executive Committee.

His Royal Highness Prince Haji Sufri Bolkiah, the President of the NOC, handed Matjinen the country's flag at a departure ceremony.

"I believe that the role of Chef de Mission is really huge, in order to ensure the welfare of our athletes," she said.

"Firstly thank you to the Government of his majesty, the Sultan of Brunei, for trusting me and giving me this huge responsibility.

"And not to forget the President of the Brunei Darussalam National Olympic Council.

"This is my first time working with the Commonwealth family."

Brunei has not missed a Commonwealth Games since Auckland and has never won a medal, but was buoyed after claiming a gold, silver and a bronze at the Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam in May.

In January, the Queen's Baton Relay visited and took in sites including the largest "water village" in the world.

It also stopped off in unspoilt jungle before a sunrise run down the beach with a brigade of Gurkhas.

"I've been to the UK many times as a student, I love going to the UK," Matjinen said.

"You guys are trying to help us even before we are coming.

"Everything is there even in the COVID times. 

"I can see from the other side of the world that they are working really, really hard.

"I know there is a hiccup here and there, but everything can be resolved quickly.

"For us it's very welcoming, and for sure it's going to be a great event in the hands of the British people." 

India - July 2022

India is unquestionably one of the big guns at Birmingham 2022 but its relationship with the Commonwealth Games has entered a rocky period.

The world's largest democracy, the home to nearly 1.5 billion people, has won 181 gold medals since first participating in London in 1934.

However, the decision to axe shooting from the Birmingham 2022 progamme, one of the country's most medal-laden sports, sparked outrage and there were even threats to withdraw in protest.

A proposal to hold a separate Commonwealth Archery and Shooting Championships in India was abandoned due to COVID-19 and although the country has travelled to Birmingham, the situation remains frosty.

India hosted the Games in Delhi in 2010 and has brought around 205 athletes to Birmingham 2022.

The Chef de Mission is Rajesh Bhandari, the secretary general of the Indian Boxing Federation.

"We are satisfied with the facilities here," he said.

"The teams from different disciplines will be staying at five different Villages and these venues are far away from each other. 

"However, we have deputed officials at different locations to take care of athletes and cater to their needs."

Cricket-mad India will hope for success in the inaugural women's T20 tournament, where they face a tasty clash with rivals Pakistan in the group stage.

With Birmingham home to large numbers of Indian people and others with Indian heritage, the country's athletes can expect strong support wherever they are.

There was disappointment when Olympic javelin champion Neeraj Chopra was ruled out with injury on the eve of the Games, but they will have big hopes for the likes of badminton player PV Sindhu, the 2019 world champion and a double Olympic medallist.

Boxer Mary Kom boasts six world titles and topped the podium at light flyweight at Gold Coast 2018, while there are also good prospects in both men's and women's hockey.

Murali Sreeshankar is another who looks like a good hope in the men's long jump, as well as Seema Antil in the women's discus.

Sanket Sargar is one to watch in the men's 55 kilograms weightlifting.

Bhandari said the team has factored in the threat of the spread of coronavirus.

"We are aware of COVID but there are precautions in place and we are not afraid," he said.

In January, the Queen's Baton Relay spent four days in India where it visited New Delhi, Bangalore and Bhubaneswar.

The Relay made a trip to the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium and India Gate.

Other stops were Konark Sun Temple, which is dedicated to the Hindu sun god Surya.

One of the batonbearers was Vinisha Umashankar, who was chosen by the Relay's official partner the University of Birmingham,

He is a 14-year-old student from Tamil Nadu, who designed a mobile solar powered ironing cart which reduces the need for polluting coal energy.  

Malaysia - January 2022

Malaysia's Chef de Mission for Birmingham 2022 is a rugby man, and clearly remembers his country going up against the might of New Zealand at their home Kuala Lumpur 1998 Commonwealth Games.

"We can still remember very strongly how Jonah Lomu dragged one of our players from the middle of the field all the way to the try line," Dato' Shahrul Zaman Yahya says to insidethegames.

"Our little players were trying to tackle him but he carried them all the way."

Those home Games are now nearly 25 years ago but Yahya, the President of the Malaysia Rugby Union, believes a major multi-sport event could soon return to the country.

"There is certainly serious talk about us hosting a big Games in the next 10 or 15 years," he said, with the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games the possible targets.

"It is not impossible for us to perhaps host the Commonwealth Games again."

The current concern for Yahya, a vice-president of the Olympic Council of Malaysia, is preparing for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games in July and August.

It is hoped that around 200 athletes will represent the country, in diving, swimming, athletics, badminton, cycling, gymnastics, judo, lawn bowls, squash, triathlon, table tennis, weightlifting, beach volleyball, hockey and rugby sevens.

Preparations, as in the rest of the world, have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Of course we are looking forward to the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, but the challenge is that most of our athletes haven't been competing for the past two years, so that is the biggest challenge that we are facing right now," Yahya said.

"Fortunately some of the athletes were involved at the Tokyo Olympics so they have been in training and competed in Tokyo.

"That's very good for them but there are also a number of athletes that haven't seen competition for the past two years so that poses a very big challenge for our athletes.

"Nevertheless, our Government has implemented a sports bubble so the national athletes are training in this bubble - they cannot go out and nobody can come in. It is a very tough environment."

Yahya added that the pandemic had caused a "restless situation" for Malaysian athletes.

"As athletes, they have been active all the time but then suddenly they are down to just doing self-training," he said. "It's very tough on them.

"We have the Southeast Asian Games which is going to happen in Hanoi in May so most of our athletes will be preparing for that, and that will form part of our preparations for the Commonwealth Games too.

"We hope that this COVID situation will settle down so we can get back to normal in preparing our athletes." 

Malaysia claimed one silver and one bronze medal at Tokyo 2020, meaning the country's wait for a first Olympic gold goes on.

With a population of more than 32 million, it is one of the most populated nations never to have topped the podium on the grandest sporting stage.

Badminton great Lee Chong Wei came close, winning a hat-trick of silver medals in the men's singles between 2008 and 2016 as he was unable to shake off his bridesmaid tag.

It is the shuttlecock sport which has provided Malaysia most of its success at the Commonwealth Games.

The country has won 59 golds in total and 29 of these have come in badminton, with the production line of talent showing no signs of slowing down.

"Badminton of course is our traditional stronghold and of course we hope we will be achieving a few golds in badminton," Yahya said.

"We have a very young team in badminton as they did a rebuilding job of the national team, but they are looking very promising and the men's doubles won bronze at the Olympics in Tokyo.

"We are looking at these few areas, plus the sports where we won gold medals at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.

"At the Olympics, some of our athletes did very well in cycling, athletics and diving." 

Malaysia won seven golds, five silvers and 12 bronze medals at Gold Coast 2018, finishing 12th in the medal table.

"We did pretty well," said Yahya.

"Of course as the Chef de Mission for Birmingham I would like us to do better than the Gold Coast.

"In terms of the seven gold medals, two were from badminton, one from diving, one from lawn bowls, one for gymnastics and two from weightlifting, so those are the areas we hope to do well or better in Birmingham for us to bring back the medals.

"I did a bit of a study and we did the best in Delhi in 2010 - we were ranked seventh with 12 golds, 10 silvers and 14 bronzes.

"Of course, anyone appointed Chef de Mission would want to improve our achievement in the last Commonwealth Games and also improve the best ever achievement so far and that was at Delhi 2010.

"I think cycling will contribute a lot to our performance compared to the Gold Coast. We really hope that they will bring some gold medals this time."

But what about rugby sevens, the sport where the late Lomu made such a colossal mark in Kuala Lumpur all those years ago?

"Our issue has always been the disadvantage of size," said Yahya. 

"But for sevens which is not very physical compared to the 15s, we have seen some countries that have done very well despite being smaller than their opposition.

"We are still in our development phase, so we are not there yet in terms of competing against all the big rugby nations in the Commonwealth Games but it is certainly a very good experience and learning process for the boys and hopefully the girls as well.

"Hopefully, by competing with some of the top countries in the world, they will learn from that process and bring it back and share with the others so that one day we can really be a contender at the Commonwealth Games and even the Olympics." 

Maldives - February 2022

Maldives are perhaps looking forward to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games a little more than most.

The Indian Ocean nation of more than 1,000 islands will be returning to the event after missing Gold Coast 2018 due to a political row which ultimately left athletes among the losers.

In 2016, Maldives withdrew from the Commonwealth of Nations after alleging "unfair and unjust" treatment.

The Commonwealth had threatened the country with suspension if it failed to address democracy concerns, including freedom of speech, the detention of opponents and judicial independence.

It was the third time Maldives had been warned about partial or full suspension since Mohamed Nasheed, the country's first democratically elected President, was forced out. 

He was replaced by Abdulla Yameen in a 2013 election which critics said was corrupt.

Ibrahim Mohamed Solih defeated Yameen in a 2018 vote, however, and immediately applied to re-join the Commonwealth.

The country was admitted again in February 2020 and had its Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) membership restored in August of the same year.

Under CGF rules, only countries which are members of the Commonwealth can compete at the Games, with Maldives now due to return for the first time since Glasgow 2014.

"In terms of athletes it was a very sad situation," said Hussain Jawaz, the Maldives Chef de Mission for Birmingham 2022, to insidethegames.

"Every day they train to perform at the highest level, and when political situations come up it's very difficult for them as they are not involved in the politics.

"But they have to adhere to the difficulties they face." 

Maldives are hoping to select 17 athletes for Birmingham 2022, in sports including athletics, swimming, beach volleyball and 3x3 basketball.

There are big hopes for table tennis player Fathimath Dheema Ali, who at 13-years-old could be one of the youngest athletes in Birmingham in any sport.

The youngster started playing when she was six after being rejected by a badminton coach because of her height.

Her hero is China's triple Olympic gold medallist Ding Ning, and when she played aged 10 at the 2018 World Team Championships in Sweden, her 35-year-old team-mate Muenna Mohamed was her senior by a quarter-of-a-century.

Dheema is ranked inside the top 10 in the world in the under-15s category and won three gold medals at the 2019 Indian Ocean Island Games in Mauritius. 

Then aged 11, she triumphed in the women's singles, women's doubles and the team event.

"When an athlete comes up like this the whole country is excited about it," said Jawaz.

"She is the number one in Maldives and she is in the world ranking as well.

"She is a prospect we are looking at as an athlete who is achieving at a young age." 

With the picture-postcard Maldives spreading out over a huge area of 90,000 square kilometres, with islands on both sides of the equator, travel for athletes can be difficult.

The COVID-19 pandemic has also caused problems, with rules put in place to stop people from hopping from island to island.

"A lot of athletes have to travel by boat as air transport is very expensive," Jawaz, the general secretary of the Football Association of Maldives, said. 

"The travelling is very difficult for us. 

"If the weather is bad it's not advisable to use boats and travel by sea.

"Coronavirus also had a very big impact because geographically the Maldives is small islands. 

"There were restrictions on going from one island to the other, and athletes found it very difficult to train because most of the facilities were closed.

"We are hoping things will calm down." 

Being an island nation also means there is little space to construct the necessary sporting facilities, with aerial photographs of capital city Malé showing there is nowhere left to build.

There are two synthetic athletics tracks in the country, but as these are available to the general public it means top athletes such as Olympic 100 metres sprinter Hassan Saaid need to book their training times.

Some athletes have the opportunity to train overseas but this is far from ideal.

"The land area is small and it's a huge challenge to do urban planning because the land is so scarce, and it's expensive," said Jawaz.

"We have a swimming pool now but before athletes had to swim in the sea.

"They had a platform there, but that meant a very different situation compared to competitive swimming in the pools. 

"In terms of infrastructure we still need a lot of changes."

Climate change is a subject never far away from the agenda in the Maldives, a popular destination for honeymooners. 

At the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow in November, delegates were warned that rising sea levels could leave a large number of islands underwater.

"We always talk about climate change and the weather that affects the ecosystem of Maldives," said Jawaz, who has enjoyed long involvement with his country's National Olympic Committee.

"We are one metre above sea level and we have a fear that some of the islands might get submerged. 

"The weather is changing now, we do not know what is the rainy season and what is the sunny season, because it keeps changing. 

"When athletes are training they cannot predict the weather.

"Changes are happening very fast. We used to know that June or July would be the rainy season, but right now we don't know." 

The Commonwealth Games could provide a more positive note, with Jawaz hopeful that Maldives could pinch the first medal in the country's history.

There was excitement when the Queen's Baton Relay visited the country, with the resulting images superbly showing off the archipelago's outstanding natural beauty. 

"It was a big celebration," said Jawas. "Because during the pandemic, the restrictions for travelling were there. 

"The people felt like we are part of the Commonwealth and it felt really good when we brought the baton to some of the islands. 

"They enjoyed very much the beauty of the Games by participating in small events. 

"Some of the islands have a population of 2,000.

"Everyone joined together and it was a big festival. We used our natural resources, we brought it to the sea and we showcased it on the beaches. 

"It was quite the spectacle." 

Pakistan - July 2022

You have to go all the way back to Edinburgh 1970 to find the last time Pakistan won more than two gold medals at a single edition of the Commonwealth Games.

This seems like a poor return for a country which is home to more than 240 million people, but there are big hopes for better things at Birmingham 2022.

The country has named 103 athletes for this year's Games, who will find local support from the significant number of people living in Birmingham who have Pakistani heritage.

They will be competing in athletics, aquatics, badminton, boxing, cricket, gymnastics, hockey, judo, squash, table tennis, weightlifting and wrestling.

Names to watch out for include javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem, who finished fifth at both the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and this month's World Athletics Championships in Eugene.

Wrestler Muhammad Inam boasts two Commonwealth Games golds already, including the 86 kilograms freestyle title from four years ago at Gold Coast 2018.

Nooh Dastgir Butt, meanwhile, won heavyweight weightlifting bronze in Gold Coast, while two-time Olympian Shah Hussain Shah will be one to watch in judo.

Pakistan will also hope that its women's T20 cricket team, which is ranked seventh in the world, can upset the medal party as the sport makes its Commonwealth Games debut.

Hockey, too, can never be discounted when it comes to Pakistan although the last of the men's three Olympic titles did come back in 1984.

Syed Muhammad Abid Qadri Gillani, a vice-president of the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA), is serving as Chef de Mission in Birmingham.

He is being assisted by Muhammad Asif Zaman, who has been given the role of deputy Chef de Mission.

"We provided every kind of facility to our athletes to prepare for the quadrennial event and I am very much confident that they will live up to the expectations," Asif said.

"Pakistan has a good chance of medals in wrestling, weightlifting, judo and athletics. 

"Our front-line javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem, who is doing well these days in the World Championship in the US, will also be our top medal hope in England.

"I am also quite confident that we may spring some major surprises in squash, hockey and women's cricket which will be making its debut in the Birmingham Games."

Pakistan's cricketers, led by captain Bismah Maroof, are being financially supported in Birmingham by the Pakistan Cricket Board.

Others are being backed by the POA and the Pakistan Sports Board, with the latter saying it has only chosen to aid "athletes who have bright chances to win medals".

"Look, we always try to back our athletes within our resources," Asif added. 

"We also provided foreign coaches to some federations and enhanced the daily allowances of the athletes.

"There is still room in further giving relief to the athletes and in future we will further boost their daily allowances.

"It was the principal stance of the PSB, and we are backing potential medal winners and those who have been also looked after properly during their preparatory phase." 

Pakistan debuted at the Commonwealth Games in 1954 in Vancouver and enjoyed its best Games in Perth in 1962, winning eight gold medals.

They won four golds at both Kingston 1966 and Edinburgh 1970, before missing the next three Games due to the country withdrawing from the Commonwealth.

When they finally rejoined in Auckland in 1990, Pakistan did not win a medal, and it has been slim pickings since then with just five golds added to their collection.

The Queen's Baton Relay visited in late December and included star athletes such as former world number one squash player Jahangir Khan.

It was also greeted by local dancing and traditional donkey-driven carts.

Khan, six times a world squash champion in the 1980s, comes from a golden era of Pakistan sport which also includes the men's hockey team and cricket success.

While the country will need a while to re-reach those heights, there is confidence that there could be something to celebrate in Birmingham.

One of Nadeem's main opponents will be India's Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra, which will renew the fierce rivalry between the two neighbouring superpowers.

The cricketers, too, have been drawn in the same group as India with their clash promising to be held in front of an electric atmosphere. 

"This is a very important event for the Commonwealth Games Association (CGA) family of Pakistan," said CGA secretary general Muhammad Khalid Mahmood.

Singapore - March 2022

Lim Heem Wei knows only too well why the Commonwealth Games are nicknamed the "Friendly Games".

The Singapore gymnast competed at both Delhi 2010 and Glasgow 2014 - winning a silver medal on the balance beam in the Scottish city - but was also drawn in by what happened away from her competitions.

"In my experience the Commonwealth Games is the only Games where I felt it was like a festival," said Lim, Singapore's Chef de Mission for Birmingham 2022.

"What really stood out from the other Games was, although we were all very focussed on our performance, because that's the first thing while you're there, outside of competition a lot of them [athletes] knew how to switch off that competitiveness.

"There's camaraderie. English is a commonly spoken language, the whole Village atmosphere is not something you get at any other Games. 

"There were really high energy levels outside of the competition. I enjoyed that part of it because as athletes you are so absorbed in your game, in your competition, that you forget there are other things that you could actually be doing outside of that.

"The common language was a major factor. 

"There's no common language across the countries at the Olympic Games, that really helps to bring everyone together."

Lim competed at the London 2012 Olympics and believes the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games were an important launchpad. 

She said Birmingham 2022 would be an important date for Singaporean athletes, in a year which also includes the Asian Games in Hangzhou and the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Hanoi.

"The Commonwealth Games is certainly a key major sporting event," said Lim, who carried the Singapore flag at the Glasgow 2014 Opening Ceremony.

"It's a busy year for us.

"But after two years of withdrawals when there was no competition, I think Singaporeans are really looking forward to all these major Games.

"Many of the athletes have trained and prepared years ahead. 

"Personally, I competed in 2010 and 2014 and it [the Commonwealth Games] has been a very significant part of my journey as an athlete. It was one of the major milestones leading up to my Olympic qualification."

Singapore's team in Birmingham should exceed 50 athletes with confirmed sports so far including athletics, badminton, table tennis, swimming and weightlifting. 

"I think integrating Para and able-bodied athletes really helps to bring the community together, and that really sits with the Singaporeans," Lim said.

In swimming, the country will hope to select Joseph Schooling, who made history at Rio 2016 by winning the men's 100 metres butterfly.

When Schooling touched home just a fraction in front of a trio of tied silver medallists including the legendary Michael Phelps, he became Singapore's first Olympic gold medallist in any sport.

The island city-state at the southernmost tip of mainland Asia was celebrating again in December when Loh Kean Yew claimed a shock victory in the men's singles at the Badminton World Championships in Huelva. 

Ranked number 22 in the world and unseeded at the event in Spain, Loh defeated India's Srikanth Kidambi in the final after earlier knocking out Denmark's Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen in the first round.

Singapore would dearly love Loh to add the Birmingham title to that world crown, while table tennis has been the country's happiest Commonwealth Games hunting ground.

Out of the 37 gold medals Singaporean athletes have won, 22 have come in table tennis including three at Gold Coast 2018.

"Joseph Schooling is a household name now as our first Olympic champion," Lim, who won three team gold medals at the SEA Games, said.

"Everyone knows him.

"And badminton has garnered a lot of hype among Singaporeans." 

Lim has moved behind the scenes following her sporting career and is a member of the Commonwealth Games Federation's (CGF) Athletes' Advisory Commission, representing Asia.

"I came on in 2018," she said.

"We are really the voice of the athletes, in ensuring that it's athlete centered and athlete focussed in the CGF. 

"We're trying to push for at least one athlete representative in each Commonwealth Games Association, so then the athlete's voice can be reached. 

"We are focusing on what we can do at the Games for the athletes.

"Brendan Williams is our chair. Whenever something comes up, we have discussions. 

"The nitty gritty, I don't have sight of it, but in general we have been quite involved with many processes." 

At Gold Coast 2018, Lim was deputy Chef de Mission, an important learning curve leading into the top role in Birmingham.

"Going to Gold Coast wearing a different hat, and in a different capacity as I was no longer an athlete, was a great eye opener," she said. 

"I really got to learn what happens behind the scenes, and to appreciate the effort of the team a lot more. 

"They work around the clock to ensure athletes are given the best opportunities and can compete in the best conditions. 

"I'm really thankful for that role, Australia were great hosts. 

"The volunteers were very efficient and helpful and I saw some great breakthrough performances from our athletes. 

"So overall it was a really good experience." 

Singapore has a permanent place in Olympic history as the first host of the Summer Youth Olympic Games in 2010.

It has also hosted the SEA Games four times, most recently in 2015.

The country would have the capability of hosting the Commonwealth Games in the future, should it wish to pursue doing so.

Officials have already expressed interest in bidding for the 2025 World Athletics Championships.

"In terms of capabilities as a host country and a host city, I think we have that track record," said Lim.

"It was quite interesting to see the whole country coming together at the Youth Olympics and rallying behind the athletes.

"I volunteered my time in a couple of roles and was a spectator.

"It was a very heartening experience."

Lim speaks positively about how the country's athletes have dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Singapore won praise for its work combatting the virus, including for how quickly it acted to bring in measures to guard against its spread.

"Like everyone in the world, many of our plans were halted, pushed back or delayed," Lim said. 

"But that was a worldwide thing and we adjusted and we have really tried to adapt over the last two years. 

"Athlete safety is our key priority. We really have to adapt, we have to be flexible, we have to adjust. 

"I think during these two years, the biggest takeaway was seeing how resilient and how committed our athletes have been. 

"So many of them have not given up, and they are still continuing to work their dreams. 

"It's not easy because as an athlete there are so many considerations at different phases of life. 

"I can never fully understand how the athletes feel when there is a cancellation of a competition they have worked so hard for. 

"I'm not in their shoes." 

When the Queen's Baton Relay arrived in Singapore, Lim carried the baton across Marina Bay.

It visited the city's "most instagrammable spots" and took a journey on the Mass Rapid Transit. 

"When the Baton Relay arrived we had a glimpse of what will be offered in Birmingham," said Lim. 

"We have the utmost confidence that Birmingham, as a host city, has what it takes to provide us with an awesome Games experience. 

"I can't wait to experience some of the things they have to offer."

Sri Lanka - July 2022

To say that Sri Lanka's preparations for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games have been rocky is something of an understatement. 

The country is currently in the grip of a paralysing financial crisis, which reached a shocking flashpoint over the weekend when protestors stormed the Presidential palace.

Basic necessities such as petrol and medicine are running low, and the price of food and other everyday goods has risen dramatically.

Both President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe have now said they will resign after months of demonstrations.

Rajapaksa promised to quit after being forced to flee from his home, which was overrun by angry crowds who were seen lounging on his bed and swimming in his pool.

The protestors have refused to leave until both the President and Prime Minister step down, with the latter's house set on fire.

In these circumstances it is difficult to imagine Birmingham 2022 having any importance at all.

But Sri Lanka still looks set to compete at the Commonwealth Games with a team of 114 athletes, a rise from the 79 who went to Gold Coast 2018.

"We have a lot of issues at the moment," said Major General Dampath Fernando, the Sri Lankan Chef de Mission for Birmingham 2022.

"We are going through a very bad patch in the country as far as the economy is concerned.

"Honestly speaking, it's a turmoil situation.

"We are suffering without fuel, gas, and we are facing a food crisis as well to some extent.

"The fuel crisis is a major problem, as because of that everything has come to a grinding halt.

"People are stranded in fuel queues, running into kilometres, day and night.

"As a result things are not functioning well."

The Government has blamed the COVID-19 pandemic for the crisis, which impacted Sri Lanka's tourism industry.

Others have said the situation is a result of financial mismanagement.

"Employees are finding it extremely difficult to report to work," said Fernando, who retired in 2019 as Sri Lanka's Chief of Staff of the Army, the second highest rank in its military.

"Buses are limited because of the fuel crisis, trains have come down to 40 per cent from 80 per cent.

"Everything has been limited.

"It's a struggle, it's survival of the fittest. 

"I hope and pray that in three or four weeks time we get our fuel and we will be able to cope with the basic requirements."

Fernando, also a former international basketball player, said Birmingham 2022 plans had been affected to a "great extent".

With money from the Government not available to help the team, Sri Lanka has been left grateful to Commonwealth Games organisers who have sponsored dozens of athletes.

"We are somehow managing," Fernando said.

"Air tickets are pretty expensive, and the Minister of Sport has said categorically that they cannot sponsor us because they cannot get money from the treasury. 

"They don't have dollars, they don't have money, but they have agreed to sponsor 28 athletes, 28 air tickets.

"This is only for a number of selected sports which they think will perform better compared to others.

"It is the Commonwealth Games organisers who have been very kind to pass funds.

"So everything is set, everything is planned."

Sri Lanka is due to compete in 3x3 basketball, aquatics, athletics, badminton, beach volleyball, boxing, cricket, gymnastics, judo, rugby sevens, squash, table tennis, weightlifting and wrestling in Birmingham.

Female athletes will be in the majority for the first time, with 60 women and 54 men named in the squad.

This is largely due to the addition of the women's T20 cricket tournament, with Cricket Sri Lanka, which is in a better position than most, lending its financial backing to the country's team.

Sri Lanka won six medals at Gold Coast 2018 - one silver and five bronze - which was the country's largest haul at a single Commonwealth Games.

All of the podium finishes came in either boxing or weightlifting and the two sports are being targeted again, particularly in the lighter weight categories.

Weightlifter Indika Dissanayake, the silver medallist in Gold Coast at 69 kilograms, is among those set to return.

"These two sports have performed quite well, these are the two main sports we are looking at this time also," said Fernando. 

"Gold Coast was very good exposure for our athletes. It was a memorable experience."

Sri Lanka could also spring a surprise on the athletics track with Italian-based sprinter Yupun Abeykoon in good form.

He clocked 9.96sec to win the 100 metres at the Résisprint International event in Switzerland on July 3, becoming the first South Asian in history to dip under 10 seconds.

"I believe he will create something of a paradigm shift in the Commonwealth Games," Fernando said.

Other Sri Lankan athletes have been training all over the world, including a diver in Australia, gymnasts in Canada, a judoka in Kosovo and wrestlers in Hungary.

"Commonwealth Games preparation started over a year ago, and that was the time when we were facing the pinnacle of the COVID-19 pandemic," said Fernando, who has served as President of the country's handball federation and is also a squash player.

"We were having a lot of issues in our country in terms of training and other resources.

"But we have not given up our training, and today we are in a position to send our contingent."

In May, National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka secretary general Maxwell de Silva was attacked at his home in Colombo, reportedly over a row related to selections for the Commonwealth Games.

De Silva suffered cuts to his hands as he attempted to fend off two masked men who carried knives, and his daughter also ended up in hospital.

His car was found abandoned around a kilometre from his home after the attackers used it to escape but the official, who is well known in international sporting circles, is now back on his feet.

He played a big role in securing the funding for the country's athletes which could not be provided by the Government.

"He's doing fine and he's busy these days, getting ready for the Commonwealth Games," said Fernando.

"I'm in touch with him on a daily basis, he's the main go-getter and the backbone of the organisation.

"With his leadership and involvement we've been able to resolve a lot of issues, locally and internationally."

Fernando served as Chef de Mission at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang, and has also taken on the role at the South Asian Games.

He said the Commonwealth Games was always an important fixture on the Sri Lankan sporting calendar.

"It is something the athletes are always looking forward to," he said. 

"Because it's a cultural experience for them, exposure for them, to mingle with other Commonwealth countries in the world. 

"They consider the Commonwealth Games as good as the Olympic Games. 

"When you look at the top level athletes taking part at the Commonwealth Games...

"It's a dream of athletes to take part." 

Sri Lanka first competed at the Commonwealth Games in Sydney in 1938, and they have won three gold medals in that time.

The country bid for the 2018 edition but Hambantota was defeated by Gold Coast in a two-horse race.

It is difficult to imagine another bid now but cricket, the most popular sport in Sri Lanka, is currently providing a boost to the country as Australia are touring despite the domestic turmoil.

"When the rest of the world imposed travel restrictions, they decided to come and that was a morale boost for us," said Fernando.

"The whole nation shows our gratitude to Australia for coming despite this crisis situation, and playing these matches.

"That was a really good thing that they did."

Sri Lanka will now hope that Birmingham 2022 can provide some more cheer, amid the hope that things will return to normal back home.

"I attended the open days meetings," Fernando said. 

"We spent almost three days over there, we visited all the venues. 

"There was a series of presentations run by the organisers.

"Looking at the preparations, I think it's going be a great extravaganza. 

"I'm sure that despite the COVID pandemic, the Games are going to definitely be successful. 

"I'm pretty confident of that." 

Australia - April 2021

There is a "very strong will" within Commonwealth Games Australia (CGA) to stage the multi-sport event in the "not too distant future."

That’s the message from Petria Thomas, Australia’s Chef de Mission for Birmingham 2022, who revealed talks were underway to gain Government support for a bid to host the Commonwealth Games.

Australia is looking to stage the 2030 edition and could step in to organise the 2026 Games should Canada’s proposed bid fall through.

Interest from the Australian state of Victoria has also been welcomed by the Commonwealth Games Federation as it aims to secure a host to pick up the baton from Birmingham 2022.

Thomas, who won nine swimming gold medals at the Commonwealth Games during her glittering career, said the CGA was "working hard behind the scenes" to turn ambitions of staging another Games into reality.

"People at Commonwealth Games Australia are very keen to host another Games for many different reasons and speaking to various Governments around Australia to see if there is interest there for that to occur," said Thomas.

"There are certain processes that need to be gone through with the CGF as well so I think all of us who love sport would love to see the Commonwealth Games back in Australia at some stage in the not too distant future."

Australia has staged the Games on five previous occasions, with Sydney playing host in 1938, Perth in 1962, Brisbane in 1982, Melbourne in 2006 and Gold Coast in 2018.

Victoria had hoped to put a bid together to replace Durban as host of the 2022 Games after the South African city were stripped of the event following its failure to meet a series of financial deadlines.

But the Provincial and State Government refused to back the proposal with the Games eventually being awarded to Birmingham in England.

Adelaide also failed to gain State Government backing to bid for the 2026 edition while a "Greater Victoria" proposal to host the event in 2030 has been put on hold due to the coronavirus crisis.

Hamilton in Canada is also lacking support from its Provincial and Federation Government to play host in five years’ time, raising question marks over the future of the Games.

"I hope the event goes on for many years to come and I know Commonwealth Games Australia is very keen to host another Commonwealth Games at some stage in the future," said Thomas.

"We do such a great job at hosting Games in Australia and it provides such great legacy for the host communities with infrastructure, interest in sport and people getting up, getting active and participating.

"I think there is lots of benefits to hosting a Games and I would love to see the Games back in Australia at some stage."

Thomas is also excited by the prospect of another Olympic and Paralympic Games coming to Australia with Brisbane installed as the International Olympic Committee’s preferred candidate for the 2032 edition.

"There is no doubt that when a country hosts a Games, it helps to lift the performance of the home country," said the Olympic champion.

"I don’t think there would be anyone who would argue that.

"With the prospect of Brisbane hosting the 2032 Games and the very strong will to host another Commonwealth Games as well I think there is a really exciting future (for Australia)."

Cook Islands - March 2022

Not everyone would enthusiastically celebrate a lawn bowls bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games, but the Cook Islands certainly would.

At Gold Coast 2018, Taiki Paniani and Aidan Zittersteijn came third in the men's pairs to write a piece of history for one of the Games' smallest teams.

The duo had raced into a 7-0 lead against Malta's Brendan Aquilina and Shaun Parnis, but the bronze medal was in doubt when their opponents battled back to 10-10.

Paniani and Zittersteijn recomposed themselves, however, and were five points in front as Malta prepared for their final shot.

It was a near-impossible ask for the Europeans, and cheers from the Cook Islands delegation could be heard when the Maltese bowl was still en-route.

After careering off harmlessly to the right and not scoring the five points it needed to, the party could really start for the Pacific Islanders and the decibels rose by several notches.

As one television commentator put it, this was a "win for the little guy". He went on to predict that the following day would be declared a national holiday.

"It was a good feeling," said JP Wilson, the Cook Islands Chef de Mission in Gold Coast who will reprise the role at Birmingham 2022.

"The Queen's representative was at the game as well, so he witnessed them getting the bronze medal.

"The sad thing was I was still in the Gold Coast when the team arrived back home. 

"We had to do the handovers and all that - once everyone's gone we have to make sure we didn't break anything and hand everything back how we got it.

"They had a big celebration, we were watching as someone was filming it for us. 

"They did the works, they had an escort from the airport to the bowling club. They had a formal function down at the club, the Prime Minister was there, the Queen's rep was there. 

"We all watched it on a phone. It was like 'oh man, we should have been there!'"

Bowls is an important sport in the Cook Islands, with the Gold Coast pair beating England and South Africa on the way to their bronze, but only Zittersteijn will be returning in Birmingham.

"When we have the Pacific Games and Pacific Mini Games, bowls is one of our number one medal bringers," Wilson added.

"After the guys got their bronze medal from Gold Coast, there was a big boost and we started having a lot of young people getting involved which was a good thing. 

"They can start pushing some of the old fellas aside!"

The Cook Islands are planning to take 10 bowlers to Birmingham, including several young players which bodes well for the future.

A team of 18 is planned in total - with athletes also set to travel in athletics, boxing, swimming and weightlifting.

On the track, Alex Beddoes is set to return for his third Games over 800 metres.

"The Commonwealth Games of the past, a lot of people would watch it on TV, especially if our athletes are going to be competing," said Wilson. 

"Now that social media is big they can just watch it any time they want."

Cook Islands athletes face long journeys to sporting events from their isolated home in the Pacific, which lies to the east of the international date line in the same timezone as Hawaii. 

Wilson described one 15 hour flight between Melbourne and Dubai as being particularly gruelling, although any travel experience would beat the ordeal the team went through at the end of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Although the Games in Japan closed on August 8, the Cook Islands team did not return home until October after they became stranded in New Zealand due to COVID-19 restrictions and a lack of repatriation flights.

"We were stuck there and that was an eye opener, it was hard," said Wilson, who was Chef de Mission in Tokyo and stayed with family in New Zealand.

"If only there was something to do there, a job so we could jump in and do something while we were there...

"But while we were in New Zealand the whole place was in lockdown. A member of the family could go to the store and get something...

"We couldn't do much."

The Cook Islands closed its own borders for two years, and the team needed to sit through another fortnight of quarantine when they did return home.

This took place at the Edgewater Resort and Spa in Rarotonga, a more pleasant surrounding. 

"It was a good feeling just landing back at the airport," said Wilson. 

"Who cares that we were going into quarantine here, it was the best place to have quarantine.

"The sun was out and we were right on the beach." 

Wilson is currently serving an "eight year term" of Chef de Mission duties, which will take him through to the Paris 2024 Olympics.

This is part of a Cook Islands Sports and National Olympic Committee strategy to appoint a consistent face each time, particularly someone who is familiar with the athletes.

His first event was the Commonwealth Youth Games in The Bahamas in 2017, while he has served as the President of football and rugby clubs.

He also runs the local Scouts Association, is vice-president of the Red Cross and chair of a beautification programme for his village.

"If you don't get busy you just get bored," Wilson said.

In 2009, the Cook Islands hosted the Pacific Mini Games which led to improvements in infrastructure. 

The main island of Rarotonga boasts the outdoor BCI Stadium, which has an athletics track, and the indoor TSA arena.

"In each village there is a rugby field," said Wilson. "This is used for everything, you name it. We've got a lot of sports that happen here, we've got a nine-hole golf course, and two squash courts now. There's a five court tennis area and there's a beach complex. 

"The only thing we don't have is a proper swimming pool, but we've got a big ocean."

Rugby league is hugely popular and both the men's and women's sides have qualified for this year's World Cup in England. But contact sports have faced periods of suspension due to COVID-19, leading to frustration among those hoping to get leagues back up and running.

"When league is on, it's just league and netball," said Wilson.

"And when rugby [union] is on it's just rugby. And when it's soccer it's just soccer. So there's not much clashing which is a good thing."

A major event is the Cook Island Games, which pits teams from the different islands against each other in modern and traditional sports.

With the archipelago extremely spread out - the northern islands can take three hours to reach by plane - this is a chance to bring everybody together.

"The first Cook Island Games we had was awesome," said Wilson. "Seeing all the islands get together, supporting your own island and having your own flag and anthem...

"It's very competitive. You go hard for your island but afterwards you have fun. It's just the spirit of sport." 

Fiji - July 2022

Fiji has won three gold medals in its Commonwealth Games history but titles in rugby sevens are what the country really wants.

The Pacific nation is mad about the oval ball and is a huge force in sevens, particularly since the discipline was added to the Olympic programme.

There were huge celebrations when Fiji's men won sevens gold at Rio 2016 as the sport debuted, as the success was the country's first Olympic medal of any colour in any sport.

They duly followed that up by defending their title at Tokyo 2020, where the women's team added bronze for good measure.

These remain as the only three medals in Fiji's Olympic history, but although sevens has appeared at the Commonwealth Games since 1998, the country has never topped the podium.

Fiji's men have instead had to make do with three silver medals after losing finals to New Zealand in 1998, 2002 and 2018.

They also won a bronze medal in 2016.

The women, meanwhile, did not make the podium at Gold Coast 2018 when female players competed for the first time.

In a bid to right this wrong, Fiji has named strong sevens teams for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Six Olympic gold medallists are in the men's squad, while 10 of the bronze medallists from Tokyo will compete for the women.

"Definitely for us, it's one of the medals that has escaped Fiji over the years and our target is to go and claim that," said men's head coach Ben Gollings.

Saiasi Fuli, the women's coach, added: "These girls know the expectation and are ready to put Fiji on the world map once again."

Fiji's Chef de Mission for Birmingham 2022, Sale Sorovaki, also comes from the world of rugby.

He made 19 appearances for his country in XVs between 1995 and 1998, scoring two tries.

Sorovaki moved into sports governance and was Chef de Mission for Fiji at the 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Ashgabat in Turkmenistan.

He has also worked as operations manager for Fiji Rugby Union, while he was head coach of the sevens team which took part at the 2014 Summer Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing.

At the 2011 Pacific Games in Noumea, Sorovaki was section manager for rugby sevens.

He has a diploma in management of Olympic sports organisation and is a level three qualified World Rugby coach, as well as a certified World Rugby trainer.

The centre played club rugby in New Zealand for Wellington and Manawatu, and also spent four years in Japan with Kintetsu Railway.

Sorovaki will oversee a team of 64 athletes in Birmingham, with rugby joined by athletics, boxing, judo, lawn bowls, squash, table tennis and weightlifting.

"The facilities are athlete friendly and easy to use and the accommodation looks comfortable and suitable for athletes," Sorovaki said.

"The only challenge I see for our athletes will be adapting to the weather, which is why we are lucky that Team Fiji will be in England at least a week before competition actually starts."

Weightlifter Eileen Cikamatana won Fiji's only gold medal at Gold Coast 2018 but she has now switched nationalities to Australia.

Other weightlifting hopes this time include Taniela Rainibogi and Helen Seipua, while sprinter Banuve Tabakaucoro, known as the "Bau Bullet", has won numerous regional titles including 100 metres gold at last month's Pacific Mini Games.

In February, the Queen's Baton Relay visited Fiji, where it began its trip on a canoe.

Other highlights of the visit included a stop at the Sigatoka Sand Dunes National Park.

Fiji will be hoping that rugby gold medals will also be making a journey to the country after the Games.

"I have a good sense of working with people and trying to connect with them regardless of what sport they represent," Sorovaki said.

"I'd like to bring out the best from athletes and challenge them to be their best versions." 

Kiribati - June 2022

In 2014, David Katoatau won a stunning Commonwealth Games gold medal in weightlifting for Kiribati and, if dancing had been on the sports programme, he probably would have won that as well.

The lifter with a beaming smile hoisted up a total of 348 kilograms to win the men's 105kg title in Glasgow, and delighted the crowd with his joyous dancing celebration.

Katoatau even tried to drag a reluctant team official onto the stage to join him as he deservedly enjoyed the remarkable achievement of winning gold for his tiny Pacific nation, which is home to only 120,000 people.

It remains as Kiribati's only medal at the Commonwealth Games and he received a predictable hero's welcome when he returned home.

"I guess we didn't really expect it," said Nemani Tebana, the Kiribati Chef de Mission for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

"I was in Fiji and we only knew about the gold medal win on Facebook!

"But at the same time we were really proud.

"There were big celebrations, especially when the team returned.

"It was a really big welcome for the delegation.

"He's a role model for everyone."

Katoatau would reprise his dancing antics at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, where he finished 14th and became known to a much larger audience.

Despite the fun and laughter of his displays, there was a serious message to what he was doing as Katoatau wanted to draw attention to the threat of climate change.

Kiribati, like other Commonwealth neighbours in the Pacific such as Tuvalu, is on the front line in the battle against rising sea levels.

The country consists of 32 atolls and one coral island, which are spread out across the ocean in a gigantic area the size of India.

These islands are all tiny, low and narrow. The capital Tarawa is shaped like a thin triangle and is only two miles long, meaning the concern about being submerged is only too real.

In many places on Tarawa the width of the island is a matter of metres across, meaning you can see both sides - the Pacific Ocean and the lagoon - with ease.

"I want to see a future for Kiribati and our youth," Katoatau, who grew up in Nauru and was inspired by the country's legendary weightlifter Marcus Stephen, said to The Guardian in 2016.

"I don't want my country to disappear."

Tebana, who will oversee a team of six athletes at Birmingham 2022, described climate change as a "very big issue".

"We are constantly putting up sea walls, and rebuilding sea walls, because they are just getting battered by the waves," he said.

"But it's not just the beaches that are being affected.

"Our President has just announced a state of emergency because we're in a drought.

"So it's also the plants and the lack of rainfall.

"All of that is blamed on climate change."

Tebana said that people in Kiribati, the only country in the world to have land in all four hemispheres, were trying to carry on with their lives.

"It's the politicians and the leaders who kinda worry but otherwise, everyone else, they are just going about their daily business as usual," he said.

"We're leaving everything to the leaders who are campaigning for us."

Kiribati's team in Birmingham will compete in boxing, athletics and weightlifting - although David has now retired.

His brother Ruben will be in the squad, however, after finishing sixth in the 69 kilograms at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games and competing at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

When asked if Ruben would continue his brother's promotion of climate issues by dancing in Birmingham, Tebana said that "he's got the moves as well".

A team of three was sent by Kiribati to Tokyo 2020, including 100 metres sprinter Lataisi Mwea who has trained for Birmingham in Brisbane.

The entire Olympic squad was based outside the country as COVID-19 prevented anyone from leaving directly from the islands.

Birmingham will provide more opportunities, with the squad also finding preparation at the ongoing Pacific Mini Games in the Northern Mariana Islands.

"We were fortunate to have overseas athletes who took part in the Olympics last year," said Tebana, who is a vice-president of the Kiribati National Olympic Committee.

"We could have sent some from here but the Government wouldn't open the borders."

The geography of the country makes finding space for sporting facilities difficult, but Reuben does have his own club with basic equipment.

"We're narrow and flat so we can't do hill runs or that sort of training," Tebana said.

"We do have a sports complex which holds a full size basketball court.

"That was built by the Chinese a few years ago, but at the moment it's being used as a quarantine centre for repatriating stranded citizens.

"So that sporting facility has been closed off."

Tebana, who will be serving as Chef de Mission for the first time and is also the President of the country's taekwondo association, said there was more awareness of the Pacific Games than the Commonwealth Games because of the potential of sending a larger squad.

Birmingham 2022 was promoted through the Queen's Baton Relay visit, however, although this took place while the country was in a lockdown.

"The rules were very strict, so we couldn't really run with the baton," said Tebana.

"But the acting New Zealand high commissioner, she ran with it.

"The New Zealand High Commission office is next to the Australian High Commission, and Australia was the next stop for the baton.

"So when we took it over to New Zealand, we were supposed to put it back in the bus.

"But she just said 'no I'll run with it, it's nearby, it's next door'.

"So she ran with it, we were all surprised as we weren't expecting to run.

"She just ran in her dress shoes, she didn't have any proper running shoes.

"She had just arrived in the country and just got out of quarantine."

Another highlight of the relay saw the baton presented to the Unimwane, the male elders of the community who performed a welcome ceremony.

Kiribati's appearance in Birmingham will be their seventh at the Games since they debuted in Kuala Lumpur in 1998.

The country's name is often said incorrectly as it is pronounced Kiribass due to the sound "ti" makes in the Gilbertese language.

Tebana said the team in Birmingham would mainly come from the Gilbert Islands.

"We're divided into three island groups," he said.

"We have the Gilbert Islands, where Tarawa is.

"We have the Phoenix Islands, where there is the Phoenix Islands protected area, and we have the Line Islands where Christmas Island is."

Tarawa is known for the Second World War battle which took place there between American and Japanese forces in 1943.

Kiribati's vast distances mean the country once had islands on both sides of the international date line.

The line was redrawn in 1994 when December 31 was removed from the calendar for those on the east side of the line, with December 30 morphing into January 1 instead.

"Christmas Island is closer to Hawaii and we're closer to Samoa," said Tebana.

"Because of the distance, travel is very difficult. It's a four hour flight from Tarawa to Christmas Island.

"It's closer to go to Fiji than to go across to Christmas Island!

"We rely a lot on Australia and New Zealand, and sometimes the French from New Caledonia.

"They send surveillance planes to police the ocean area because there's a lot of illegal fishing.

"We don't have the facilities to monitor that." 

Nauru - July 2022

Nauru is the third smallest country in the world but boasts a proud Commonwealth Games record that many larger nations would envy.

Only the Vatican City and Monaco are smaller than this Pacific island, meaning it is the smallest nation in the Commonwealth, and you can circumnavigate by car in just 25 minutes.

With only around 10,000 people you would not expect a place like this to pull up many trees on the sporting stage.

Nauru has, however, won at least one medal at every Commonwealth Games it has entered since it first appeared in Auckland in 1990.

The country has won 10 gold medals, 10 silver and nine bronze with all of the success coming in one sport - weightlifting.

Leading the way is Marcus Stephen, who boasts seven Commonwealth Games titles, including the first Nauru gold in Auckland and three triumphs at both Victoria 1994 and Kuala Lumpur 1998.

Stephen went on to become President of the country, address the United Nations and meet the President of the United States at the White House.

Seven weightlifters will be hoping to continue Nauru's proud tradition at Birmingham 2022, including Shadrach Cain, Ditto Ika and Ezekiel Moses in the men's events.

My-only Stephen, Bernice Detudamo, Nancy Abouke and Maximina Uepa will be lifting in the women's competitions.

Leona Cain, the Nauru Chef de Mission in Birmingham, told insidethegames that the team's lifters were in good shape.

People from Nauru are said to have the perfect physique for the island's national sport, as they are "short, stocky and strong".

Nauru had no membership of the Commonwealth Games Federation until just three days before the 1990 Games in Auckland, when Stephen was finally cleared to lift.

His success, spearheaded by Australian coach Sam Coffa, sparked a craze for the sport with youngsters then starting to become involved.

Coffa moved to Nauru in the 1990s to set up the acclaimed Oceania Weightlifting Institute and the sport now rivals the island's well-known phosphate supplies as the most famous thing to come out of the country.

Cain, an Executive Committee member of the Nauru Olympic Committee and the President of both AFL Nauru and the Nauru Basketball Federation, will also be overseeing two boxers, three judokas, one wrestler and three track and field athletes in Birmingham.

There will also be 11 officials for a total delegation size of 27.

In February, the Queen's Baton Relay for Birmingham 2022 visited all 14 districts of Nauru.

It stopped at Nauru Museum and the President of the country Lionel Aingimea took it on a bike ride.

To demonstrate the small size of Nauru, the baton was then taken by boat for a full lap of the island.

The trip ended with a church service in the Ewa district, where local children performed a hula dance.

New Zealand - May 2022

Representing your country in one sport is a fantastic achievement, but Nigel Avery has done so in three.

New Zealand's Chef de Mission for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games started out in athletics before injury curtailed his career in triple jumping.

He then moved into bobsleigh before finally settling on weightlifting - in which he enjoyed great success.

A Sydney 2000 Olympian, Avery also won five super heavyweight medals at the Commonwealth Games, including golds in the total and clean and jerk at Manchester 2002.

Despite all three of his sports appearing to be very different, he was able to utilise a lot of the same skills.

"Each sport helped the other," Avery told insidethegames.

"Bobsleigh was by accident really. 

"New Zealand had a very loose sort of programme, and whoever was on the team was asked 'who else do you think might be good at this?' 

"My name came up and at the time I was transitioning out of triple jump due to a bit of an injury. 

"I'd always wanted to make a big New Zealand team and I'd never quite got there when I was a triple jumper. 

"This was maybe an opportunity to attend a Winter Olympics, that was the motivation. 

"They were looking for strong, powerful, fast guys that perhaps were maybe a little bit stupid and didn't mind racing down an ice chute. 

"I seemed to fit that bill and I was reasonably good at it."

Despite not making the Winter Olympics, bobsleigh provided a direct link to weightlifting.

"It was the training for that, getting slightly bigger, and hitting the weight room I'd be training with some of the weightlifters in Auckland in the off-season," Avery said. 

"I started to get good at some of the weightlifting disciplines and exercises, to the point where I thought 'this is interesting', and I fell into the sport of weightlifting. 

"Everything I did in triple jump, the sprinting, the power, the jumping, all that stuff, helped with bobsleigh. 

"And all those things helped with weightlifting. I guess I was fortunate by accident."

Avery, who won snatch silver at Manchester 2002, and also snatch and total bronze at Kuala Lumpur 1998, is now preparing to lead a New Zealand team of around 230 to 240 athletes in Birmingham.

His multi-sport background should help with the Chef de Mission role.

"It's good seeing sports and comparing it to others," he said. "The differences, the strengths and weaknesses, you can see different things. 

"It allows me to look at other sports with a different lens, and curiosity and wonder, to see what are the things which make these guys tick? 

"In this role, even though I'm not there from a performance perspective, I've got a lot of empathy and understanding that different sports have different needs, and desires and wants."

New Zealand are one of the powerhouse nations at the Commonwealth Games and are due to compete in every sport in Birmingham, with the exception of table tennis.

Avery said the event was held in high regard in the country and that leading athletes would want to attend.

"We do surveys and it does resonate very strongly," he said.

"We've held it here three times and some of the greatest sporting moments have come from those Games. 

"So it's held in really high esteem. 

"Clearly, there's a potential performance quality gap between that and the Olympics and World Champs, but in some sports it is as high as, particularly track and field and some of the running events.

"In Europe when there's conflicting European Championships there have been some issues on choosing to compete at the Commonwealth Games or not. 

"From a New Zealand standpoint it really is seen as a pretty important event. It's something that programmes are based around and targeted to. 

"We're fully committed."

New Zealand could be particularly strong in team sports in Birmingham, with the country boasting the netball world champions and the reigning Olympic gold medallists in women's rugby sevens.

Men's rugby and hockey will also be predictably strong, while the introduction of women's T20 cricket will bring some new faces to the fold.

"They are fizzing," Avery said of the cricket team. "They're really excited about being part of all this. 

"Obviously they've seen it all growing up and watching it every four years.

"They're thrilled to contribute to what is a rich tapestry of history in the Commonwealth Games."

Avery said his own memories of competing and winning at the Commonwealth Games were "incredibly strong".

"Obviously it's 20 years ago now!" he said. "But some of those things I can remember like it was yesterday. 

"It really was an amazing experience for me personally. It's something which will stick with me forever, and Manchester holds a strong place in my heart as a result.

"My Olympic experience in Sydney was an incredible highlight. But being able to stand on top of the podium and watch your flag being raised, and listening to your anthem, was pretty hard to beat."

At the Manchester 2002 Closing Ceremony, Avery was named as New Zealand's flagbearer.

"It was totally unexpected," he said. "To do that for your country is an incredibly proud moment." 

In Birmingham, the favourite in Avery's super heavyweight division will be fellow New Zealander David Liti, who is due to defend the gold he won four years ago in Gold Coast.

Liti was presented with the David Dixon Award at the Australian Games, for helping injured rival Lauititi Lui during the medal ceremony, which the Samoan had to attend in a wheelchair.

"The super heavyweight weightlifting pedigree for New Zealand is very strong," said Avery. "David's carrying it on. 

"I don't know what's in the water here but we seem to do well in the larger weight classes. 

"David is next level. The first time I saw him on video I went 'oh my gosh, he is going to be New Zealand's best ever weightlifter', and he's turned out to be that. 

"He's an incredible person as well, very humble. But on the platform when he switches it on, it's something special to see and really entertaining." 

New Zealand's COVID-19 laws gained worldwide attention, with the country keeping case numbers low amid tough entry rules.

In August, a snap nationwide lockdown was called after a single case was detected. 

"We did a good job keeping it out but then our borders were closed for a long time," said Avery, who was Chef de Mission for New Zealand at the Sydney Youth Olympic festival in 2007.

"While we were having relative freedom within New Zealand, we were watching other sports people participating and competing in their chosen sports. 

"There's a bit of a gap there from a competitive standpoint. 

"Having said that, it's been a chance for these guys and girls to really knuckle down and get their physical preparedness ready. 

"So I think we're all looking at it from a positive side - 'what can we do?' rather than what we can't do. 

"We'll go to the Games full of confidence and what will be, will be." 

Avery said that the well-being of his team would be an important factor for him.

"Just acknowledging that perhaps the wellness side of sports performance hasn't been looked at as well as it could have," he said.

"We're just working with sport to make sure there are safety nets, or some sort of system in place to catch issues if they arise. 

"We're very good at proceeding at an event. We're looking at what happens post-event, and what we can do to support athletes. 

"After participating at an event that you've worked so hard to get to, going down the other side of that can be quite challenging. 

"That's been acknowledged now so we're going to put in place some practices to help smooth that landing." 

Avery, who was the high performance manager at the Millennium Institute of Sport and Health for five years, said he would not be giving the team any targets.

"It's all about maximising performance," he said. 

"Whether it be standing at the top of the podium, or standing incredibly proud with your family and friends and New Zealanders after achieving your personal best, or the absolute best you can do. 

"You have to define what is 'winning'. 

"Clearly there is the first place getter, but it goes a lot deeper than that. 

"We're encouraging all our athletes that we want to provide an environment where they can all succeed to the level that they want to and aspire to." 

With a big team, the New Zealand squad will be split across the three Athletes' Villages which will be in operation during Birmingham 2022.

This will mean a different feel to previous Commonwealth Games, but Avery said he was grateful to Birmingham for stepping in as host in 2017, following the decision to strip Durban of the rights.

The host city, therefore, has not had as much time to prepare as previous locations.

 "Team culture is a very important thing for the New Zealand team," said Avery, a former President of Auckland Weightlifting.

"We just have to re-imagine how we do that. 

"We owe a great deal of thanks to Birmingham for putting its hand out to take the Games on, at what was a late stage. 

"Overlaying COVID to that, what they've put together is pretty amazing. 

"It's not going to be ideal but everybody knows that. 

"We accept it and we'll embrace whatever we've got, as we're very thankful that we actually have the chance to get out there and compete.

"People in the UK love sport so the stadiums I imagine are going to be chocka with sports fans. 

"I think it will be an incredible atmosphere and it looks like the venues will be spectacular. We're really looking forward to getting out there."

Avery's move to sports governance included a spell on the New Zealand Olympic Committee Athletes' Commission between 2002 and 2008.

"It seemed like a pretty natural thing really," he said on joining the body. 

"New Zealand is very strong and getting stronger on getting the athlete voice out there. I think it's very important that administrators do listen to the coal face. 

"The Athletes' Commission was an interesting role and I was very happy to give back."

New Zealand's three home Commonwealth Games have been Christchurch in 1974, and Auckland in 1950 and 1990.

With the Commonwealth Games Federation introducing new rules to encourage more countries to bid - including making athletics and swimming the only compulsory sports - there could potentially be another Kiwi bid at some point in the future.

"The Commonwealth Games Federation have realised that there's barriers and impediments for nations putting their hands up, and economic is one of them," Avery said. 

"I think it's going to make it much, much more attractive for countries to say, 'yeah this is doable'.

"To be able to say 'look you've only got to support two sports as a mandate, athletics and swimming' and then build everything else around what you have so the cost of construction is far less... 

"A multi-Village site - potentially that's the way of the future... 

"Obviously Victoria 2026 has taken that approach. 

"I think there is probably some quiet enthusiasm that it's something we should definitely look at. 

"We'll just have to wait and see what that comes out to be."

Niue - July 2022

In many ways the Commonwealth Games are summed up by the participation of Niue, a coral island in the South Pacific which locals like to call "The Rock".

Niue is not eligible for the Olympics, but this isolated home to fewer than 2,000 people has a place at the "Friendly Games" and will be taking 15 athletes to Birmingham 2022.

The squad faces a journey of almost a day to Birmingham, via Auckland and Dubai. But it will be worth it as the Commonwealth Games are the biggest stage where they can compete in Niue colours.

"These Games are where they get an opportunity to represent Niue," said Tony Edwards, the team's Chef de Mission for Birmingham.

"We're looking forward to coming over. 

"We're a small team, but like every event we go with high hopes."

Most of Niue's team in Birmingham will be lawn bowlers, with 10 players selected.

The island, which is a self-governing state in free association with New Zealand, has also named four boxers and a weightlifter.

As the amount of people at home is so small, selectors have cast the net wide to find athletes eligible for Niue who are based overseas.

"With a small population in Niue, we've expanded that out to our Niueans abroad," said Edwards, the senior vice-president of the Niue Commonwealth Games Association.

"These Games are where you need to take the best that you've got, to represent Niue.

"As much as we feel that in Niue we'd like to take athletes from our original country, it's also getting out there, representing Niue, and hoping that we can bring results back."

Niue first competed at the Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games and has been ever-present since then, without winning a medal. 

The island has normally selected shooters, but as the sport is not on the programme in Birmingham there will be more focus on bowls, which it has played at every Games since Melbourne 2006.

Among the team is Dalton Tagelagi, the current Premier of Niue, which is the island's head of Government and most senior political position.

He also competed at the Glasgow 2014 and Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.

"We're pretty proud to continue on with our lawn bowlers representing at the Commonwealth Games," Edwards, also Niue's national rugby coach for both sevens and 15s, said.

"We've got a really good squad, they've represented at the Pacific Games and the Pacific Mini Games. 

"We had really good results at the last Pacific Games in Samoa, where we came away with gold, silver and bronze.

"It's always a case of 'where do we want to go next?'

"We've got the Commonwealth Games coming up now and we've got a good representation of athletes in the bowls team who have medalled at the Pacific events. 

"The hope is always there. 

"We want to go there and represent, and at the same time compete with the bigger nations. 

"With an open mind and the bowlers really focused, I'm confident they are going to go out there and do their best to represent Niue." 

Niue's athletes will be supported by 14 officials in Birmingham. The delegation left for New Zealand on July 12 for training, and are due to leave for the Games on July 22.

As with many small countries, Niue is appreciative of funding provided by bodies such as the Commonwealth Games Federation and PacificAus Sports.

"We need a lot of help in terms of facilities and technical help from coaches overseas," said Edwards, who previously served as Niue's chief of police.

"We've tried to utilise a lot of funding to provide that for our athletes.

"The Government has also funded some parts of this journey and we're grateful for our Niue Government. 

"Athletes are getting sponsorship on their own for their preparation, and we've got the local community fundraising. 

"They never shy away from providing funds to support the team."

Niue is home to a single bowling green and athletes appreciate time abroad when possible to hone their skills at better facilities.

"We're not as fortunate as our athletes in Auckland where they've got multiple greens which they can go to," said Edwards, who is the President of Niue's powerlifting association. 

"They've got greens with covers over!

"We're a humble country, we make do with what we've got. The only time we can expose ourselves is getting out to other countries.

"We've got a humble gym for our weightlifters. Our weightlifter is from New Zealand and so has access to proper facilities and proper coaching." 

The coronavirus pandemic forced a long period of lockdown in Niue and stopped the island's important tourism industry in its tracks.

Life has started to open up again in the past few weeks, however, with visitors slowly starting to return.

"COVID has changed everything in the last couple of years," Edwards said.

"Even now it's really challenging as it's one more week before we get on the flight, and anything can happen.

"We've given strict instructions to our athletes that the ownership and responsibility is on yourselves - 'look after yourselves and make sure you get on that plane to Birmingham'. 

"If we manage that properly we'll make sure we get the athletes over there."

Niue, sitting on a raised coral reef, boasts incredible scuba diving and opportunities for fishing.

In 2016, the Government announced that all national debt had been paid off and declared its intention never to borrow again.

Funding from New Zealand is vital, with other industries including bananas and passion fruit.

On Sundays, the island shuts down for a day of rest and giving thanks, with barely any vehicles seen on the roads.

Edwards will be serving as the Chef de Mission for the first time in Birmingham, and says he can remember a visit to the island by Prince Charles when he was in primary school.

"I'm pretty excited with the background of sports that I've got," he said.

"You do it for a passion, obviously we don't get paid. Everything I do is voluntary so that's what makes it more passionate."

Selecting athletes was a tricky process with plenty wanting to compete for Niue.

"There's internal challenges that we've had in making sure we've got the right athletes to represent," said Edwards.

"It doesn't always go smooth with selection, everyone wants to represent Niue and rightfully so. 

"At the end of the day we've got to make sure we go through the proper processes and select the best team to go to Birmingham."

Edwards said "it's to be expected, we can't avoid that" when asked about the team's long journey to England.

In March, the Queen's Baton Relay spent two days on the island which marked the halfway point of its trip around the Commonwealth.

The Niue Council of Women welcomed the baton with singing, and Birmingham 2022 mascot Perry journeyed in a waka, a traditional Niuean canoe.

It also visited Utoko Reef, the Paliati Grounds Stadium and Fatiau Tuai, an abandoned village. 

"I'm proud to be appointed as Chef de Mission for Team Niue," Edwards said.

"It's been a challenging journey for the team. 

"However, it is what it is and we're really excited to journey on to Birmingham." 

Norfolk Island - April 2022

Only around 2,000 people live on Norfolk Island, so returning home from the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games with a medal was unquestionably a tremendous achievement.

Lawn bowlers Hadyn Evans, Phil Jones and Ryan Dixon saw off Canada 19-16 for bronze in the men's triples, with an assist perhaps coming from a supporter who could not be there on the day.

"We were leaving the Village and heading to watch the men in the triples," said Sheryl Yelavich, Norfolk Island's Chef de Mission for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

"Shooting was on at the same time and our President was giving medals, so he had to travel up to Brisbane.

"We got into the car with our driver, and we were heading down to the bowls green at Broadbeach.

"We approached some traffic lights and suddenly this rainbow appeared, and there was a car in front of us and it stopped...

"On the number plate of this car was the word 'SAR'.

"Sar was the nickname of a very special dedicated community member on the island.

"She was a very good friend and her dad was also a lawn bowler and a member of the bowls club.

"Sar had passed away just a few months earlier, but the fact we had the rainbow and we had this number plate with her name on, it felt like it was a good omen, like she was there.

"Lo and behold the team came out with the bronze."

Norfolk Island is only eight by five square kilometres in size so people like Sar, whose name was Vanessa Magri, are vital to the community.

The external territory of Australia lies around 1,400km to the east of the New South Wales coast, and was historically a penal settlement for British convicts.

In 1856, a year after the last prisoners had been removed, descendants of HMS Bounty mutineers arrived after outgrowing the Pitcairn Islands.

Norfolk Island sent 18 athletes to Gold Coast 2018 - in two sports - but their team in Birmingham will be smaller as shooting has been removed from the programme.

All 10 athletes heading to the English city are lawn bowlers - five men and five women.

The triples bronze in Australia was the second medal in Norfolk Island's Commonwealth Games history, after Carmen Anderson came third in the women's singles in Victoria in 1994.

"It was very special, it was much needed," said Yelavich on the Gold Coast performance, which also included a 19-18 win over England in the quarter-finals.

"The community was very excited at the time.

"Everyone was behind them, they had a big welcome home.

"When an islander wins a medal, people are very proud.

"Bowls is a strong sport here on the island. 

"The club has been there for many years, and they play all year round. 

"We have competitions here, people come from Australia, and pre-COVID from New Zealand. We have quite strong competition."

Norfolk Island has sent players to World Bowls events and first competed at the Commonwealth Games in 1986. 

The island has been ever-present since then, with the event the grandest stage athletes can hope to compete on in island colours.

There is no Olympic team, but the appropriately named Malcolm Champion was born on Norfolk Island in 1882.

A swimmer, he won a gold medal for the Australasia team in the 4x200m freestyle relay at the Stockholm 1912 Games.

Another major event is the Pacific Games, and Norfolk Island won two golds last time out in Samoa in 2019, both in lawn bowls.

"The Commonwealth Games is great for the youth to aspire to, to be up to that level," said Yelavich.

"Before the team goes, we usually do a parade through town with the flag and uniform."

The Norfolk Island team will be based at the University of Warwick during Birmingham 2022, as bowls will be played a short distance away in Royal Leamington Spa's Victoria Park.

Despite its small size, a number of sports are on offer for people on the island.

This includes the Creaky ol' Convicts rugby union club, with its name a nod to the territory's past.

"Considering we're a tiny island, eight by five square kilometres, we have a lot of sports available," said Yelavich. 

"We have squash courts, tennis courts. We have a pistol range and clay target as well - they have their own facilities side by side. 

"We have netball courts. Netball is very strong with the juniors coming through. 

"We've got the junior rugby league and football grounds, and we have touch football as well. 

"We have outrigging and an amazing golf course down near the beaches in Kingston. 

"There is triathlon and athletics."

People need to give up their time to make sure the clubs in Norfolk Island can keep running.

"Most of our sporting associations are organised and run by volunteers," Yelavich said.

"It's unpaid but it's really good that everyone bands together and makes sure that sports in those clubs continues. 

"They dedicate their weekends or their afternoons. 

"A lot of it is about the youth, because you want them coming through. 

"There's a great selection of sports here." 

The pine tree is the symbol of Norfolk Island and appears on the flag.

When flying into the island, the Norfolk Pines are clearly visible from the air.

Tourism is the main industry but flights were impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic, with only residents allowed in at one stage.

Coronavirus also had an impact on sport with athletes unable to leave for competitions.

In March, the Queen's Baton Relay arrived in Norfolk Island and visited sports clubs, schools and the hospital.

Yelavich said she thought Birmingham 2022 would be a good event.

"I think it will be a success," she said.

"Some of the Oceania nations like us haven't been able to go to events, so they will really be looking forward to the Games." 

Samoa - July 2022

Samoan athletes usually pack a punch and that will be no different at Birmingham 2022.

Strength is not in short supply in the Pacific nation, with all five of its Commonwealth Games gold medals arriving in weightlifting.

Six lifters have been picked to try and carry on the Samoan tradition in the sport in Birmingham, including Feagaiga Stowers who won the women's over-90 kilograms title last time out at Gold Coast 2018.

Birmingham 2022 will be a big event for the country's weightlifters, who were forced to withdraw from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Athletes from other sports did make it to Japan, but the weightlifters were unable to leave their mark as they were still at home when a state of emergency was declared, and were therefore banned from travelling. 

Joining Stowers in Birmingham will be Gold Coast silver medallist Don Opeloge, Jack Hitila Opeloge, John Lautafi Tafi, Petelo Tuiloma Lautusi and Vaipava Nevo Ioane.

The country will be sending 38 athletes to Birmingham in all, including in other sports where power is key such as boxing, judo, men's rugby sevens and wrestling.

In boxing, Ato Plodzicki-Faoagali will return after winning light heavyweight silver in Gold Coast.

Samoa will also compete in athletics and swimming.

"The Commonwealth Games is a huge event and anybody that gets to represent Samoa at the Commonwealth Games is privileged to represent Samoa," said Birmingham 2022 Chef de Mission Sulā Tagifano So’onalole-Sam Chong.

"The Commonwealth Games is a level down from the Olympics for most of these athletes, so they value it."

Samoa first competed at the Commonwealth Games in Christchurch in 1974, and has featured at every edition since then.

Two of its five gold medals arrived at Gold Coast, with the other three coming as part of a purple patch of weightlifting success at Delhi 2010.

One of the Delhi champions was Ele Opeloge, who is also Samoa's only Olympic medallist.

She won silver at over-75kg at Beijing 2008 but initially came fourth and was forced to wait eight years to receive her medal, due to the reallocation of results following doping cases.

The country has won a number of minor Commonwealth medals in both weightlifting and boxing, while Margaret Satupai memorably grabbed shot put bronze in Delhi.

"Our seven sports have been training for this despite all the COVID challenges," said Chong. 

"So being out there to compete is a success itself for them."

Rugby is a huge sport in Samoa, with the boys' sevens team winning gold at the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games in The Bahamas.

The men's squad for Birmingham were the first to leave for England on July 14, with the rest of the sports due to follow this week.

An official send off was carried out by the Deputy Prime Minister, who offered his words of encouragement, advice and blessings.

It will be a quick turnaround for some athletes, who warmed up for Birmingham at the Pacific Mini Games in Saipan in June.

Samoa hosted the Pacific Games in 2019, four years after the country staged the 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games.

In February, the Queen's Baton Relay for Birmingham 2022 arrived and was taken to sites including Mount Vaea, which overlooks capital city Apia.

The mountain is the final resting place of Robert Louis Stevenson, the Scottish writer whose works include Treasure Island and The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

Apia Park Stadium, the home of the rugby union team and the focal venue of the country's Pacific Games and Commonwealth Youth Games stagings, was also visited.

At the Samoa Cricket Oval, a celebration was attended by athletes and officials.

Solomon Islands - July 2022

Solomon Islands made history at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games and will compete at Birmingham 2022 with one eye on their own hosting duties.

In Gold Coast, double Olympic weightlifter Jenly Tegu Wini won the country's first ever Commonwealth Games medal, while capital city Honiara is warming up to stage the 2023 Pacific Games next year.

Wini bagged bronze at 58 kilograms in Gold Coast and is in great form approaching Birmingham 2022, after winning three gold medals at last month's Pacific Mini Games in the Northern Mariana Islands. 

She will be part of a 19-strong Solomon Islands squad in Birmingham, the largest the country has ever taken to a Commonwealth Games.

As well as weightlifting, Solomon Islands will also be competing in aquatics, athletics, beach volleyball, boxing, judo, table tennis and triathlon in the English city. 

Birmingham 2022 is an important chance for the country to compete at a major event with a decent sized team, after only three athletes were able to take part in Solomon Islands colours at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

These were marathon runner Sharon Firisua, swimmer Edgar Iro and weightlifter Mary Kini Lifu.

"The Commonwealth Games is one of the biggest sporting events in the world," said the team's Chef de Mission Francis Manioru.

"And as a member of the Commonwealth family, the Games means a lot to the athletes and the people of Solomon Islands."

Manioru, a programme manager with the National Olympic Committee of Solomon Islands (NOCSI), is no stranger to major events.

The 40-year-old former 100 metres sprinter competed at the Commonwealth Games three times, at Melbourne 2006, Delhi 2010 and Glasgow 2014.

He also raced at the Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 Olympics, and won Pacific Games bronze in the 4x100m relay in 2007.

In Athens, he was the country's flagbearer and appeared in national dress.

Solomon Islands first competed at the Commonwealth Games in 1982 in Brisbane, but missed the next edition in Edinburgh in 1986.

They have been ever-present since then with Wini's Gold Coast bronze their crowning achievement.

Weightlifting will be their big hope both in Birmingham and at their home Pacific Games next year.

Improvements at the Solomon Islands Sports Institute are said to have boosted their prospects greatly, as lifters were previously forced to train in a rundown building at Lawson Tama Stadium.

In February, the Queen's Baton Relay for Birmingham 2022 visited the Solomon Islands.

The baton was present at a celebration event in Unity Square in Honiara, which is home to the biggest flag and tallest flagpole in the Pacific.

Martin Rara, the President of the NOCSI, gave a speech to mark the occasion.

Another stop for the baton was the appropriately named Commonwealth Street.

Next year's Pacific Games will be the first ever held in the Solomon Islands, with Chinese cash helping to bankroll the project.

It promises to be a pivotal moment in Solomon Islands sport, and the aim will be to head into next year on the back of good performances in Birmingham.

"The importance of hosting the Pacific Games is the benefits that come with delivering the Games," said Manioru. 

"The legacy the Games will leave behind, and national pride.

"The Games can also be used as a platform to showcase culture to the region and the world, while boosting tourism and the local economy."

Tonga - July 2022

Birmingham 2022 would surely have felt insignificant in Tonga when a massive volcano blast rocked the Pacific country in January.

The eruption of the underwater Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha'apai caused widespread damage and triggered huge tsunamis which were felt as far away as Peru.

In the aftermath, Tonga was cut off from the outside world for days as vital communication lines were severed.

The amount of ash hampered the aid effort and swamped the airport runway, with the Government declaring the situation an "unprecedented disaster".

Scientists later ruled that the blast was the the largest explosion ever recorded in the atmosphere by modern instrumentation, surpassing even nuclear bomb tests.

Tonga faces a bill of hundreds of millions of dollars to rebuild the country but, remarkably, sport has soldiered on and a team of 28 athletes are due to compete at the Commonwealth Games under Chef de Mission Suliana Afu.

The men's rugby sevens team makes up the bulk of the squad, with 13 players, while there will be four wrestlers, four swimmers, three boxers, two weightlifters and two in athletics.

Afu is the vice-president of the Tonga Sports Association and National Olympic Committee.

She was appointed way back in September 2020 so "she could start attending to  some of the logistics and planning requirements".

Tonga first competed at the Commonwealth Games in 1974 in Christchurch and has not missed an edition since then.

The country has won three bronze medals in that time, which have all come in the boxing ring.

Super heavyweight Paea Wolfgramm was the first to stand on the podium in Victoria in 1994, and the country then enjoyed an excellent Games at Delhi 2010, where super heavyweight Junior Fa and lightweight Lomalito Moala both grabbed a medal.

At the Olympics, Wolfgramm is Tonga's only medallist after he lost the Atlanta 1996 super heavyweight final to a certain Wladimir Klitschko, the Ukrainian who went on to become one of the most famous names in boxing.

In recent times, Tonga has become known for taekwondo athlete Pita Taufatofua, whose shirtless appearances as the country's flagbearer at the Olympics gained him much social media traction.

Taufatofua also competed in cross-country skiing at the Pyeonchang 2018 Winter Olympics but it will be left to someone else to carry the flag in Birmingham with taekwondo not on the programme.

COVID-19 notably impacted Tongan sport, with six members of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic team forced to wait until October to travel home after becoming stranded in New Zealand.

As the Games in Japan ended on August 8, this was a lengthy wait.

Coronavirus also impacted the visit of the Queen's Baton Relay in February, when the country was in a period of lockdown.

It meant the Tonga Commonwealth Games Association moved away from hosting "traditional" Relay activities, although some exemptions were allowed so the baton could be taken to key areas of interest.

This included Tongan sprinter Siueni Filimone and athlete Ronald Fotofili holding the baton at the entrance of Tupou College in Toloa, on the island of Tongatapu.

The baton was also taken to Captain Cook’s Landing Place by a member of the youth hockey team.  

A plaque, commemorated by Queen Elizabeth II in 1970, marks the location where Cook is said to have come ashore in 1777. 

Tuvalu - May 2022

Tuvalu's athletes have been training in an unusual place to prepare for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games - the country's international airport.

Space in the Pacific island nation is at a premium, and with only one flight currently arriving a fortnight the locals have come up with an innovative solution.

"At the moment we are using our runway," said Tuvalu's Chef de Mission Tala Simeti.

"It's the biggest open space we have on the mainland, so we are using that for outdoor games.

"We have quite a long runway and every afternoon it's overcrowded with people doing all sorts of sports."

Funafuti, Tuvalu's main island and capital, is a tiny ring-shaped coral atoll, which is in severe danger due to rising sea levels.

At its narrowest point, the distance across the island is just 20 metres, barely the width of the road.

It is easy to see both sides of Funafuti - the Pacific Ocean and the lagoon which the island encircles - at the same time.

The widest point across is only around 400m, or one lap of the track at Birmingham's Alexander Stadium.

Tuvalu's total land area is just 10 square miles, while the population is around 12,000.

"One of the issues we have is our size," said Simeti, who is set to oversee a team of six athletes in Birmingham. 

"We have a very small land area and to build up sports infrastructure is quite a challenge.

"We don't have the resources. If we are to build a complex where we can accommodate sports, I don't think the Government has the resources to fund that."

Weightlifters from Tuvalu are currently training among breadfruit trees.

"They don't have a proper gym," Simeti said.

"When it's high tide they don't have a proper training facility. It's a big issue for them."

A national stadium - the Tuvalu Sports Ground - backs onto the runway and players have been known to warm up there.

"It's basically just an open space where they play football and rugby," said Simeti. 

Tuvalu is on the frontline of the climate change crisis and its leaders spoke passionately at the COP 26 conference in Glasgow last year.

Foreign Minister Simon Kofe recorded a video from the ocean, while wearing a suit with his trouser legs rolled up, to highlight that Funafuti is sinking.

Scientists have warned that Tuvalu faces being completely wiped off the map.

"Right now people are concerned about climate change," said Simeti.

"The Government is trying their best to see if they can convince other international leaders to mitigate their carbon emissions. 

"You speak to some people and you can see fear in them.

"Maybe they are not fearing for themselves, maybe they are fearing for the future, their children and their grandchildren.

"I think the only tourists we get are people who want to experience the impact of climate change."

Simeti is not from Funafuti but one of the outer islands.

"Some smaller islands have disappeared and are submerged underwater," he said.

"When it's high tide, it goes all the way up to the main road.

"You can't even plant your vegetables so it affects food security as well."

Tuvalu will be sending a men's beach volleyball team to Birmingham, and will also be represented in athletics and boxing.

The country's isolation means it is remarkably yet to record a single case of COVID-19.

As a result the coronavirus precautions which will be in place in Birmingham - and things like mask wearing which have become common across the world - will take getting used to for the Tuvalu squad.

Despite avoiding the pandemic so far, the Government is taking no chances and has introduced measures such as the restriction of flights to once a fortnight.

This has had a knock-on effect on the team's travel plans.

Two officials who attended the Oceania National Olympic Committees General Assembly in Fiji this month have stayed in the country and will not return home until after the Commonwealth Games.

"The fact that flights come in and out of Tuvalu once every two weeks, they are better off staying in Fiji and doing some work, rather than coming back here which is costly for us," said Simeti. 

"We'll be heading first to the Pacific Mini Games [in Saipan in June] and then off to Birmingham."

Two boxers are also already in Australia, and will be heading from there to England.

Staying away from home for so long means obvious sacrifices, but the lure of the Games is strong.

"This is a 'once in a while' opportunity so why not make use of it?" Simeti said.

"To get the chance to represent your country in the Commonwealth Games is a privilege."

Simeti is serving as Chef de Mission for the first time and is the secretary of Tuvalu's boxing association.

"We have a ring made of wood," he said. "We improvise.

"We don't have the proper ring, but we have the ropes and some mats.

"We have a few boxing gloves and other stuff."

Another role Simeti has held is President of the Tuvalu National Football Association. The country has so far been rejected in its bid to join FIFA, due to its perceived small stature and lack of infrastructure. 

"We don't have a lot of athletes here so one can play football and play volleyball and play rugby, and all sort of sports," said Simeti. "It's multi-talented."

The Queen's Baton Relay was taken to some of Tuvalu's different islands, as well as schools and the governor general's residence.

However, the two-day celebration was cut down to just one due to COVID-19 precautions, and on that day it rained.

The country first competed at the Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur in 1998, and has been ever-present since without winning a medal.

The first Olympic appearance came in Beijing in 2008, and two sprinters took part at the rearranged Tokyo 2020 Games last year.

Karalo Maibuca set a national record of 11.42sec in the men's 100 metres in Japan, while Matie Stanley competed in the women's 100m.

Tuvalu do not expect to trouble the podium in Birmingham but they are looking towards the future.

"We are bringing with us a lot of new athletes to expose them to that level of competition and start building from there," said Simeti, who has spent some time in Birmingham before.

"It will be an exciting Games."

Vanuatu - June 2022

Vanuatu hadn't won a single Commonwealth Games medal when they travelled to Gold Coast 2018, but they left the Australian city with two. 

Para-athlete Friana Kwevira set the ball rolling with bronze in the women's javelin throw F46, before beach volleyball duo Linline Matauatu and Miller Pata claimed a medal of the same colour three days later.

This success means excitement is building in Vanuatu leading up to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, but their performance last time out will be a tough act to follow.

"That was history," said Julia King, Vanuatu's Chef de Mission for Birmingham 2022.

"That was the first time we added something onto our medal tally, which increased from zero to two.

"At this point that's a very high bar for me already.

"The challenge is going to be on."

King is the Women in Sports Commission chair at the Vanuatu Association of Sports And National Olympic Committee (VASANOC), so the Gold Coast medallists were particularly special.

"The two medals were both won by female athletes, beach volleyball and javelin," she said.

"This is why this is such a good journey for me.

"We'd been doing quite a bit of work leading up to then, so it was so good. 

"It added to our campaign. It was so good to see that women were representing, and not just representing, they were actually bringing home the medals."

Vanuatu's 22-strong team in Birmingham will only include Pata in beach volleyball, who now has a new partner in Sherysyn Toko.

Pata celebrated her bronze in Gold Coast with her seven-month-old baby Tommy, who was hoisted into the air so she could place her medal around his neck.

In 2019, she won gold at the Pacific Games in Samoa alongside Toko.

"The whole country is rooting for our beach volleyball girls as well as probably the rest of Oceania," said King, who will be Chef de Mission for the first time.

"I'm keeping my fingers crossed for them.

"They are the reigning champions in the region at the moment, so now it's about taking it to Commonwealth level."

Kwevira will also not be returning in Birmingham after moving into a professional career, but Vanuatu will be able to call on another Para-athlete in Ellie Enock, who competes in throwing events.

"She's won a few medals at the regional Games," said King.

Others to watch for Vanuatu in athletics include young sprinters Obed Timbaci and sisters Claudie and Chloe Merick. 

"I'm excited they get to be part of this global event, that can only help them, if not for now, maybe for the future," King added.

Vanuatu will also be competing in boxing, judo, table tennis and weightlifting in Birmingham.

But the squad has faced the challenge of expiring passports which means there will be no women's representation in table tennis.

"Passports haven't been that useful for the last three years, so people haven't kept up with their travel documents," said King.

"We're finding this out in the dying months.

"There's a boom in travel, and with that comes a passport shortage in the country.

"We've had teams having to travel on diplomatic passports, because there's not enough official passports...

"So unfortunately the women's table tennis team won't be travelling with us."

A number of Vanuatu's athletes are based overseas, including in the United States, Fiji, Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia.

This brings about its own logistical challenges.

"I said yes [to the job] kinda thinking that everyone will travel from Vanuatu and we'll all go forward from here, given that it was a pandemic," said King. 

"But people just took off and went all over the globe. 

"We are fortunate that we have a wonderful travel agent who has been very patient with us. 

"He's been wonderful putting all of this together.

"It's a miracle that we've made it this far and no-one's lost their heads yet. 

"It's a very small contingent, so I cannot imagine the other countries who have to organise way more numbers than this."

One of the team's boxers left Vanuatu unexpectedly for seasonal employment.

"We had to track him down and we found that he was in New Zealand somewhere," said King.

"So we had to prepare his documentation and get stuff across to him, and his employer is able to let him go."

The Queen's Baton Relay visited Vanuatu in February and travelled on a 300m zipline above the rainforest.

In Mele Village, Paramount Chief Simeon Poilapa Tivatelapa IV represented his traditional community while the baton was also taken across the Vanuatu Sky Bridge and ridden on horseback. 

"The relay this year was one of the biggest that Vanuatu has ever seen," said King. 

"It was very engaging. People actually remember it and talk about it. 

"They see me and they go 'you're the lady from the Queen's baton'.

"We've left an impact, and we're constantly going back to the media to remind everyone that the Games are on, the 28th of July to the 8th of August, and we'll be looking forward to having everyone cheer Team Vanuatu on."

The COVID-19 pandemic unfortunately struck after the Relay's visit when enthusiasm for the Games was gathering speed.

"We had our first community outbreak in March right after the Queen's Baton Relay," said King.

"The Relay is the curtain-raiser for the Commonwealth campaign and we were hoping to get a momentum flowing, so we could gauge the population's interest in following the team. 

"The lockdown came and it threw everything up in the air. 

"The main struggle was getting athletes to their qualifying events, and even just to train and gear up to get ready for Birmingham."

King represents the Vanuatu Football Federation on the VASANOC Board, and is President of both the Port-Vila Women's Football League and Mauriki FC.

But for now focus is on Birmingham 2022, and particularly the Opening Ceremony.

"Everyone's asking 'who's going to be broadcasting, where do we find the link?'" said King.

"I think it's going to be exciting times. 

"The Games are arriving right in the middle of the country's 42nd independence celebrations. 

"So everyone's going to be out and about. And the fact that Team Vanuatu is in Birmingham flying the Vanuatu flag, I think we can easily interlink both activities. 

"Someone's asked me if we could put up a screen somewhere for everyone to come and watch the opening parade. 

"Because a lot of people participated in the Queen's Baton Relay, and everyone's looking forward to seeing how the baton is going to make it into the opening event.

"It's the very same baton we held in February, and now it's marching into an arena of 35,000 people and there's 1.5 billion people watching globally. 

"Hopefully they show the footage of Vanuatu and all of their faces are going to pop up. That's the momentum and build-up we're aiming for at this point."

One challenge will be the time difference, but the Commonwealth Games tradition of marching out countries by region means Vanuatu might not have to wait until the end of the alphabet to appear.

"At the Olympic Games, VASANOC put up a large screen," said King.

"Everyone gathered at six o'clock to have drinks and sit around and wait for the opening parade, and Vanuatu marched in at 11 o'clock. 

"That was a long wait, that was five hours."

King is planning to travel to Birmingham with her husband, who has a close personal connection to the host nation but has never been there.

"My husband's father left England 77 years ago, grew up in Australia and then came to Vanuatu," she said.

"I've been very fortunate to make it to Switzerland and The Netherlands with the FIFA leadership programme, but not to England as yet.

"That was the other reason why I was determined that I could do this job, because I think if I go there I might be able to have some closure.

"I could tell people that this was where my name came from.

"Everything's hitting close to home, there was no-one else who was called to do this job, it had to be me because I had so many loose ends I had to tie up."