Team Scotland’s boxers have an impressive Commonwealth Games record as the only sport where Scottish athletes have won at least one medal at every Games since they began in 1930. In celebration of this outstanding track record the sport leads the way in our ‘Celebrating Our Past, Building Our Future’ Sport Focus, which will feature each of the 25 sports in which Scotland has competed at the Commonwealth Games.

Look out for all things Boxing on Team Scotland’s website and social channels this month as we delve into the archives for tales of past success and also look ahead to those who could be following in their footsteps at Birmingham 2022.

Boxing at the Commonwealth Games

One of the six sports included in the first Commonwealth Games in 1930, Boxing is a core sport and must be featured in every edition of the Games. Scottish boxers claimed a full set of medals at the 1930 Games in Hamilton, Canada with one gold, one silver and one bronze, with Jim Rolland taking the honour as Scotland’s first ever Commonwealth Games Boxing champion.

Scotland has continued to produce champions with 17 gold medallists to date, including household names such as Dick McTaggart, Alex Arthur and, most recently, Josh Taylor and Charlie Flynn.

Women’s Boxing was first included at the Glasgow 2014 Games, however Scotland did not field a competitor, meaning that Gold Coast 2018 saw Vicky Glover and Megan Gordon take to the ring as Team Scotland’s first female boxers.

Find out more about Boxing in the Commonwealth Games, including the competition format, rules and equipment on our dedicated Boxing page.

Scotland’s Commonwealth Champions

Following Jim Rolland’s victory in 1930 the next Scottish Boxing gold did not come until the 1950 Games in Auckland, New Zealand. Scottish boxers more than made up for this gap however, wining two gold medals in each of the next four Games and keeping the Flyweight title in Scottish hands for a 12 year stretch.

Among those medallists was Dick McTaggart, reigning Olympic champion coming into the Cardiff 1958 Commonwealth Games and he lived up to his billing, taking Lightweight gold for Scotland. He went on to win a second Olympic medal with bronze in 1960 and a second Commonwealth Games medal with silver in 1962. He was the first British boxer ever to compete at three Olympic Games and remains Scotland’s only Olympic Boxing champion to date.

Tom Imrie struck Light Middleweight gold at Edinburgh 1970 but it was then a full 20 years before a Scottish boxer next stood atop the podium, as Charles Kane took the Light Welterweight title in Auckland. Since 1990 Team Scotland boxers have won gold at every Games with the exception of Manchester 2002 and Gold Coast 2018.

Team Scotland Boxing Gold Medallists

Click here for a full list of Team Scotland’s Boxing medallists

Youth Games Success

Boxing has been included at every Commonwealth Youth Games to date, with the exception of the first Games held in Edinburgh in 2000. Scotland has won at least one Boxing medal at each of the five Youth Games where the sport has been included, mirroring the success of Scottish boxers in senior Commonwealth Games competition.

Charlie Flynn and Josh Taylor both won medals at the Youth Games before going on to win gold for Team Scotland at Glasgow 2014, while in 2015 John Docherty and Sean Lazzerini became the first Scottish boxers ever to win Commonwealth Youth Games gold, with John going on to win bronze at Gold Coast 2018. Tyler Jolly added Team Scotland’s third Youth Games gold as he won the Light Welterweight title at Bahamas 2017 and, with women’s Boxing contested for the first time at those Games, Megan Gordon became the first female boxer to represent Scotland at a Youth Games and also our first female medallist with bronze in the Flyweight.

Click here for a full list of Team Scotland’s Youth Games Boxing medallists

Scotland at the Commonwealth Games

The Commonwealth Games is the only occasion where Scotland gets to compete in a multi-sport event as a nation in its own right and is one of only six countries to have competed in every Commonwealth Games since their inception in Hamilton in 1930. Represented by 15 athletes participating in six sports at those first Games, winning a very creditable 10 medals, Scotland have gone on to win medals at every Games since.

Edinburgh became the first city to hold the Games twice in 1970 and 1986 and also became the first city to host the Commonwealth Youth Games.

Scotland hosted the Games for a third time when Glasgow welcomed athletes and officials to the XXth Commonwealth Games which was held from 23rd July – 3rd August 2014. Team Scotland celebrated their most successful Games in history, winning a total of 53 medals and went on to record their highest overseas medal tally ever at Gold Coast 2018.

Find out more about the Commonwealth Games and Team Scotland’s past success in our Past Games section.

At just 19, Jo Pettitt was one of the youngest members of the Netball team that took 9th place for Team Scotland at Glasgow 2014. Since then the Scottish Thistles have recorded an impressive string of results, taking them to ninth in the most recent World rankings. As part of our Sport Focus series, we caught up with Jo as she prepares to head to Gold Coast for her second Commonwealth Games:

How did you first get into Netball?

I first started playing at primary school, at West Linton Primary, and then went on to high school and played for Peebles High School and joined Peebles Netball Club. From there I progressed on to districts, playing for Borders District and then joined the Scotland South pathway system and progressed through all the age groups at nationals.

Do you remember the first time you played? Were you a natural from the first time you picked up a ball?

Probably not, I was really uncoordinated. I was tall, limbs a bit everywhere, so it took a lot of hard work to get that coordination when I was little.

What is it you love about Netball?

I love being in a team sport, I used to do quite a lot of swimming and I particularly enjoyed the relays and it occurred to me one day that, actually, that was because I was being part of a team. So that’s when I focused on Netball and realised that I love team sport and being part of a bigger group all trying to do one thing. It’s more social I think, as a team.

You’ve come all the way through to the national side and are going to your second Commonwealth Games, what does it mean to be part of Team Scotland?

I think it’s just amazing being part of something even bigger. There’s so many sports but we are all one team, trying to achieve the same thing. I think that makes it even more inspiring for us and for other people in Scotland.

What’s the highlight of your career so far?

Definitely the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. I was lucky enough to compete at the last Games, so I’m going into it a bit more experienced this time. Last time was just a total whirlwind because I was quite new in to the team, so I’m hoping to absorb it all a little bit more this time.

The Thistles have had some fantastic results over the past few years, what’s made the difference in that success?

I think our intensity at training has just lifted and we’ve got higher standards for ourselves, so we don’t accept what we would have accepted maybe five or six years ago in the national team. Our coaches have been really great in helping us achieve what we want to achieve and everyone has got the same drive in the team.

What are your hopes for Gold Coast 2018?

We’ve got a tough draw so we’re going to do our best and hopefully get a top eight finish.

Gold Coast 2018 sees Scotland’s Netball team make their second Commonwealth Games appearance, after their debut at Glasgow 2014. Our final Sport Focus spotlight will be on Netball all week, culminating in a Commonwealth Games themed celebration on Friday 16 March as the Sirens take on Severn Stars in the Vitality Netball Superleague at Glasgow’s Emirates Arena and live on Sky Sports.

Look out for all things Netball on Team Scotland’s website and social channels this week as the sport takes the spotlight in our Sport Focus Series, which features each of the 18 sports on the Gold Coast 2018 programme through athlete interviews, facts & figures, competition news and more.

Netball at the Commonwealth Games

Netball is a Commonwealth Games core sport for women only and has been included since the Kuala Lumpur 1998 Games. Scotland fielded a team for the first time at Glasgow 2014, taking 9th place, and return for Gold Coast 2018 looking to improve on that finish.

Australia and New Zealand have dominated the sport, contesting all five finals to date, with Australia taking gold in 1998, 2002 and 2014 and New Zealand the victors in 2006 and 2010. England and Jamaica are the only other nations to win a Netball medal – England bronze medallists on three occasions and Jamaica twice.

Find out more about Netball in the Commonwealth Games, including the competition format, rules and equipment on our dedicated Netball page.

Team Scotland 2018

Netball have selected an exciting squad of 12 players, with an even split of youth and experience. Six return from the Glasgow 2014 team, including Claire Brownie who will captain the team in Gold Coast, vice-captain Lynsey Gallagher and stalwart Hayley Mulheron, who has over 100 caps for the National side. Of the six athletes making their Games debut, three are age 20 or younger; Bethany Sutherland who captained the 2017 World Youth Cup team to eighth place, Beth Goodwin, named Player of the Tournament on her senior debut at 2017 Netball Europe and Niamh McCall, the first player born in the 2000s to receive a senior cap.

The squad received a boost with the news that, after a string of outstanding results, they have moved to 9th place on the most recent World rankings. The team are drawn in Pool B in Gold Coast with New Zealand, England, Malawi, Wales and Uganda.

Click here to meet the full Netball team for Gold Coast 2018.

A total of 211 athletes have been named to Team Scotland for Gold Coast 2018 to date, with athletes announced in all sports except Rugby 7s where players will be confirmed later this month.

Show Your Support!

You can show your support by uploading photos and messages on our supporters page and give Team Scotland’s athletes a boost as they prepare to do the country proud on one of sport’s biggest stages!

Look out for other ways to get behind the team in the countdown to Gold Coast on Team Scotland’s social media channels.

Scotland at the Commonwealth Games

The Commonwealth Games is the only occasion where Scotland gets to compete in a multi-sport event as a nation in its own right and is one of only six countries to have competed in every Commonwealth Games since their inception in Hamilton in 1930. Represented by 15 athletes participating in six sports at those first Games, winning a very creditable 10 medals, Scotland have gone on to win medals at every Games since.

Edinburgh became the first city to hold the Games twice in 1970 and 1986 and also became the first city to host the Commonwealth Youth Games.

Scotland hosted the Games for a third time when Glasgow welcomed athletes and officials to the XXth Commonwealth Games which was held from 23rd July – 3rd August 2014. Team Scotland celebrated their most successful Games in history, winning a total of 53 medals.

Find out more about the Commonwealth Games and Team Scotland’s past success in our Past Games section.

As we round up our Sport Focus on Triathlon, here are 12 things you might not know about the sport at the Commonwealth Games:

1. A demonstration sport at the 1990 Auckland Games, Triathlon made its Commonwealth Games debut in 2002 at the Manchester Games and returned to the sport programme at Glasgow 2014, having not featured at the Delhi 2010 Games. It has since been elevated to a core sport and is included for 2018.

2. Para-Triathlon is now an optional discipline which will make its debut in Gold Coast and features a combined category for H1 and H2 athletes (run with a staggered start) for both men and women.

3. The Mixed Team Relay, featuring two men and two women, was introduced at Glasgow 2014 and sees athletes compete in a super-sprint triathlon. Each athlete is required to complete a course of 250m open water swim, 7km cycle and 1.5km run, before tagging their team mate.

4. Scotland have yet to win a medal in Triathlon at the Commonwealth Games. Seventh place for both David McNamee in the Men’s Individual and for the Mixed Team Relay at Glasgow 2014 are Scotland’s best results to date.

5. All Commonwealth Games triathlon gold medals to date have been won by England, Australia or Canada.

6. For the first time in Commonwealth Games history, in 2018 the Triathlon will take place over the Sprint distance; 750m swim, 20km bike and 5km run. Previous Games have been run over the full Olympic distance – double the Sprint distance.

7. The individual Triathlon events take place on the first day of the Games at Gold Coast 2018, with the Mixed Team Relay two days later.

8. Showcasing the splendour of the Gold Coast, the Triathlon will start and finish at the beautiful Southport Broadwater Parklands.

9. Paralympic gold medallist Karen Darke will become the first Scottish athlete to compete in Para-Triathlon at the Commonwealth Games. Since being paralysed from the chest down in a climbing accident age 21, the Inverness based athlete has pushed herself in an incredible series of challenges, alongside her sporting endeavours, all using just the power of her arms. These include crossing Greenland’s ice cap, hand-cycling from Canada to Mexico and climbing Mont Blanc, Matterhorn and El Capitan.

10. Beth Potter, competitor in track Athletics at Glasgow 2014, the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and 2017 World Athletics Championships, will make history in Gold Coast by becoming the first Scottish athlete ever to compete in two sports at a single Games. She will compete in both the women’s individual event and Mixed Team Relay before returning to the track for the 10,000m.

11. There is a strong track & field pedigree in the Gold Coast 2018 women’s team, with Erin Wallace making her Commonwealth Games debut in Triathlon having won gold at the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games in the 1500m.

12. On the men’s side both Marc Austin and Grant Sheldon return from Glasgow 2014, with Marc a double silver medallist at the 2015 European U23 Championships and Grant a double gold medallist at the 2016 World University Championships.

Meet all five triathletes competing for Team Scotland at Gold Coast 2018 in their Athlete Profiles.

As our Gold Coast 2018 Sport Focus on Table Tennis comes to an end, here are 12 things you might not know about the sport:

1. Table Tennis first appeared on the Commonwealth Games programme in Manchester 2002 and has appeared at each Games since. Originally optional, it has now been made a core sport.

2. Para-Sport Table Tennis is an optional discipline and is included in Gold Coast 2018.

3. Singapore has been the top nation in Table Tennis at every Games where the sport has been contested, winning 44 medals including 18 gold.

4. Scotland took bronze in the Men’s Team event at the 2013 Commonwealth Championships but have yet to win a Table Tennis medal at the Commonwealth Games.

5. Commonwealth Games Table Tennis competition consists of a total of nine medal events. There are Singles, Doubles and Team events for both men and women, including two Para-Sport events in men’s and women’s singles.

6. The Gold Coast 2018 Table Tennis competition will take place at Oxenford Studios – filming venue for Hollywood blockbusters such as San Andreas, Scooby Doo and Unbroken – the first time the venue will have been used for a sports event.

7. Table Tennis originated in Victorian England and has been known as whiff-whaff, flim-flam, punch ball, pim-pam and gossima.

8. The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) was formed in 1926 and now has 226 member associations.  It has been an Olympic sport since 1988.

9. The size of the ball was changed from 38mm to 40mm after the 2000 Olympic Games so that spectators could see the ball clearly on TV, effectively slowing the game down.

10. Table tennis is the most popular indoor sport in the world with over 10 million players competing in sanctioned tournaments each year.

11. Ping Pong, played with sandpaper bats, has its own World Championships. Scotland’s Gavin Rumgay has reached the quarter-finals and has a career high World ranking of 7.

12. Team Scotland will be represented by three players at Gold Coast 2018. Gavin Rumgay competes at his fourth Games, Craig Howieson his third and Colin Dalgleish makes his Games debut. Meet them in their Athlete Profiles.

Table Tennis player Colin Dalgleish will make his debut for Team Scotland at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, having had a taste of a big multi-sport event when representing Great Britain at the 2017 World University Games in Taipai.

He joins a highly experienced men’s team for the Games with Gavin Rumgay making his fourth Games appearance and Craig Howieson his third. As part of our Sport Focus series we caught up with Colin on the excitement and pride of competing at his first Games:

This is your first Games – how’s it been since you qualified and how are you feeling just a few weeks out?

“At first the buzz was unbelievable. You train so hard and make the team, but everything can still feel so far off. I had a photoshoot a few weeks ago and then the team camp last month; alongside quite a few interviews, which just reminds you of the achievement of being selected to represent Team Scotland.

“I’m really excited to get going now. It’s been away in the distance and now you can almost touch it. It feels a bit surreal to have so much attention and to get people talking about Table Tennis is fantastic.”

What’s the current interest and support for Table Tennis like?

“People don’t really understand the size and scale of the sport. They’ll ask us ‘how often do you train?’ and then seem surprised when we say it’s every day on the table and in the gym. I mean people know that rugby and football players train every day and we openly talk about it, but it’s the exactly the same for us.

“It’s getting better in the UK; things like the British Premier League and the Team World Cup that was on in London a couple of weeks are getting more coverage in the media. Getting the interest and reputation of the sport up in Scotland is really important and it’s hopefully something that will come out of the Games again. It’d be great to bring some new faces and some new talent into the sport.”

Do you think there’s a misconception about how physical your sport is?  

“I hadn’t actually done any strength and conditioning work until I came up to Aberdeen and it was through Robert Gordon University and the scholarship programme that I started. Before it, I wasn’t sure how it was going to benefit me, but since I started I haven’t looked back and now it’s like a religion for me to get my two S&C sessions in a week.

“It’s incredible the fine margins that you get; like the additional power and speed. It’s things like getting your arms up quicker or having more power in your legs. When you put it in those terms I think you can understand the impact. Explosiveness is so important in Table Tennis. You obviously need table time to refine your technique, but gym work is definitely understated. Going back now, it’s definitely taken me to the next level.”

How much have the guys in the team told you about the Games environment?

“The other guys in the team (Gavin and Craig) have told me loads about what to expect in the Games environment. I actually went to watch quite a lot of the competition in Glasgow 2014, and although I wasn’t playing I picked up lots from just being in and around the venue. The passion of the crowd in Glasgow was clearly special for us and while we’re in Australia I’m sure we’ll still have a great support.

“I was at the last World University Games, which has given me a taste of a multi-sport environment as ideal preparation for Gold Coast. I now know a bit more about what to expect from the village, the dining hall, transport and the Games venues etc. I’m sure there will still be different aspects that I’m not expecting but with the combined knowledge of the team and my own experiences I know we’ll be fine.”

Is there any one moment that you’re looking forward to outside of your competition?

“I think it’s just the full experience. The opening ceremony is always so exciting, though as Table Tennis starts on the first day we don’t always look to march. I’ve never been to Australia before either, and although we’ll mostly just see the inside of the venue, it’ll be great to go and experience another country.

“Being part of Team Scotland is really exciting and I’ve already seen what it means to everyone at the team camp. I can’t wait to get out there now and compete.”

With Team Scotland triathletes in World Cup action and our Table Tennis players honing their skills at a pre-Games training camp in Germany, both sports step into the Sport Focus spotlight as they continue their countdown to the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Look out for all things Triathlon and Table Tennis on Team Scotland’s website and social channels this week as both sports share the spotlight in our Sport Focus Series, which features each of the 18 sports on the Gold Coast 2018 programme through athlete interviews, facts & figures, competition news and more.

Triathlon at the Commonwealth Games

Triathlon made its Commonwealth Games debut in 2002 at the Manchester Games and returned to the sport programme at Glasgow 2014, having not featured at the Delhi 2010 Games. It has since been elevated to a core sport and is included for 2018 along with Para-Triathlon, now an optional discipline, which will make its debut in Gold Coast.

The Mixed Team Relay, which made its debut at Glasgow 2014, is back by popular demand, meaning that there will be five gold medals on offer in the sport in Gold Coast.

Showcasing the splendour of the Gold Coast, the Triathlon will start and finish at the beautiful Southport Broadwater Parklands.

Find out more about Triathlon in the Commonwealth Games, including the competition format, rules and equipment on our dedicated Triathlon page.

Table Tennis at the Commonwealth Games

Table Tennis first appeared on the Commonwealth Games programme in Manchester 2002 and has appeared at each Games since. Originally optional, it has now been made a core sport.

There is also a Para-Sport Table Tennis discipline which is an optional discipline and is included in Gold Coast 2018.

Singapore has dominated the sport at the Commonwealth Games, winning 18 gold medals and topping the Table Tennis medal standings at every Games that the sport has been contested.

Find out more about Table Tennis in the Commonwealth Games, including the competition format, rules and equipment on our dedicated Table Tennis page.

Team Scotland 2018

Paralympic Games gold medallist Karen Darke will take to the start line in Gold Coast where Para-Triathlon makes its debut. Since being paralysed from the chest down in a climbing accident age 21, the Inverness based athletes has pushed herself in an incredible series of challenges, alongside her sporting endeavours, including crossing Greenland’s ice cap and climbing Mont Blanc, Matterhorn and El Capitan.

Beth Potter makes her Commonwealth Games debut as a triathlete, having competed in Athletics at Glasgow 2014, Rio 2016 Olympic Games and 2017 World Athletics Championships. She is joined by Erin Wallace, star of the track at the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games, where she won gold over 1500m. On the men’s side, there is a return to Team Scotland for Marc Austin, who thrilled the home crowd in Strathclyde Park during Glasgow 2014 as part of a three-man breakaway with the Brownlee brothers, while Grant Sheldon, World University Championships gold medallist last year, is also selected for his second Games.

Click here to meet the Triathlon team for Gold Coast 2018.

In Table Tennis, Perth’s Gavin Rumgay returns to Team Scotland for a fourth Commonwealth Games, having taken a record-equalling 12th Scottish Championship Singles title in 2017.

He is joined by nine times Scottish Men’s Doubles champion Craig Howieson, who first represented Team Scotland at the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games and will make his third senior Games appearance in Gold Coast. Making his Commonwealth Games debut will be 23 year old Colin Dalgleish, who represented Great Britain at the 2017 World University Games. All three will play in the Singles and Team event, with Gavin and Craig pairing up in the Men’s Doubles.

Click here to meet the Table Tennis team for Gold Coast 2018

A total of 211 athletes have been named to Team Scotland for Gold Coast 2018 to date, with athletes announced in all sports except Rugby 7s. These final athletes will be named in March.

Show Your Support!

You can show your support by uploading photos and messages on our supporters page and give Team Scotland’s athletes a boost as they prepare to do the country proud on one of sport’s biggest stages!

Look out for other ways to get behind the team in the countdown to Gold Coast on Team Scotland’s social media channels.

Scotland at the Commonwealth Games

The Commonwealth Games is the only occasion where Scotland gets to compete in a multi-sport event as a nation in its own right and is one of only six countries to have competed in every Commonwealth Games since their inception in Hamilton in 1930. Represented by 15 athletes participating in six sports at those first Games, winning a very creditable 10 medals, Scotland have gone on to win medals at every Games since.

Edinburgh became the first city to hold the Games twice in 1970 and 1986 and also became the first city to host the Commonwealth Youth Games.

Scotland hosted the Games for a third time when Glasgow welcomed athletes and officials to the XXth Commonwealth Games which was held from 23rd July – 3rd August 2014. Team Scotland celebrated their most successful Games in history, winning a total of 53 medals.

Find out more about the Commonwealth Games and Team Scotland’s past success in our Past Games section.

For most people making the Commonwealth Games is an achievement in itself. But for Beth Potter, she’ll look to make history on Australia’s Gold Coast by becoming the first Scottish athlete to compete in two sports at the same Games.

Already an accomplished runner, Potter was fifth in the 10,000m at Glasgow 2014, a truly home Games for the Glaswegian. So why then has she added another sport to her growing list of talents?

“Back in 2012 I remember watching Alistair and Jonny [Brownlee] in London and I was injured at the time. I was training a lot in the pool at Loughborough University and just watching them really inspired me. It was difficult to make the change then with the prospect of a home Games coming up in Glasgow, my home city, and I wanted to do that on the track. Having then done so well at the Commonwealth Games I thought I better give the Olympics a shot, so it’s been a long time coming but I’m happy with my decisions.”

After just missing a medal in Glasgow Potter pushed on, making the Olympic team for Rio with a very special run at the trial race, which was incorporated into the Highgate Night of the 10,000m PBs. But in the back of her mind the lure of Triathlon still lingered. So what was it that ultimately made her take the plunge?

“I suppose I had achieved what I wanted in running, making the Olympics, and Triathlon is just something I’ve always wanted to do. It’s not that time is running out, but I am getting a little older and I knew it would take me a couple of years to get used to it. So I thought if I’m going to be realistic about it and give myself the best possible chance I need to make the decision sooner rather than later. It came at a good time after the Olympics.”

So from that moment on one sport turned to three as Beth swapped London for Leeds and turned her whole world upside down.

“This time last year I was just really tired all the time and I was finding everything really hard. The combination of three sports everyday was really challenging and there were a lot of tears! Psychologically I moved to a new city where I didn’t know anyone, left all my friends, job and security in London and it was hard. I wasn’t really enjoying it for the first couple of months, but I just stuck with it.

“I hadn’t swum for a long period of time so I saw improvements really quickly in the pool but until last January I’d never ridden a bike with clip-ins! The skills of riding in a group and riding on a wheel were all things I had to learn, but having the cycle track here in Leeds has been really good and I’ve been doing sessions on there every week, so I’m a lot more confident now.”

Keeping her cards close to her chest, it’s hard to imagine exactly what the 26 year old wants to achieve Down Under. On the one hand her new sport is still a bit of an unknown despite some impressive results, whilst she’s was fifth on the track four years ago.

“I haven’t really voiced my goals, but it’s going to be a busy few days with the Individual Triathlon on the 5^th April, the Triathlon Relay on the 7^th and the 10,000m on the 9^th. I’m definitely aiming to do all three but the Triathlon is my priority. I’d love to make history and compete in both sports. I finished fifth at the last Games in the 10,000m and really surprised myself with that run, so who knows, you can’t put a limit on it.”

At the time of writing Potter is on a plane to Australia ahead of a Triathlon World Cup in Mooloolaba on 10^th March, where she’ll get some last minute practice in her new sport. She’ll be the first Team Scotland athlete out there and will be among the first to enter the preparation camp on the Sunshine Coast in the middle of March.

“I do have family out in Australia though who I’m going to stay with first, and both my aunts are coming to watch. I also have a couple of Australian friends going and some friends from home too, so there will certainly be some good support. Let’s just hope the Australian crowd are as good as the Glaswegians!”

Basketball returns to the Commonwealth Games, after a 12 year absence, for Gold Coast 2018. As we conclude our Sport Focus here are 12 things you might not know about the sport:

1. Basketball is one of several optional sports at the Commonwealth Games, which the host nation can choose to add to the programme.

2. Gold Coast 2018 is only the second time that the Commonwealth Games has featured Basketball and Gareth Murray is set to become the first player to have represented Team Scotland in Basketball at two Commonwealth Games.

3. At Gold Coast 2018, 17-year old Callan Low will become the youngest Basketball player ever to take the court for Team Scotland at a Commonwealth Games.

4. Basketball at Gold Coast 2018 is spread across three Queensland venues and if the men reach the final they will have travelled a total distance of 22, 471 miles by the time they arrive back in Glasgow!

5. Scotland captain and Team GB Olympian, Kieron Achara, has a passion for playing Lawn Bowls and, had his dream of becoming a basketball player failed, he would have pursued bowls further.

6. Basketball has Scottish roots! In 1891, Dr James Naismith created the sport. Naismith was the son of Scottish parents and first created the game in Springfield, Massachusetts.

7. Scotland are set to face England in the opening game of the Gold Coast 2018 Basketball competition on 5 April in Townsville. Placed in Pool B, Scotland will then play Cameroon on 7 April and will conclude their pool matches against India on 8 April.

8. Team Scotland finished 6^th in men’s Basketball at Melbourne 2006, with Australia taking the gold medal.

9. In Melbourne the medal winning nations were identical in both men’s and women’s competitions with hosts Australia taking gold, New Zealand silver and England bronze.

10. Basketball will feature in a new format at the 2022 Games in Birmingham with 3v3 and Wheelchair 3v3 making its Commonwealth Games debut.

11. Scotland got their Gold Coast preparation off to a flying start with a convincing 88-68 win over a Glasgow Rocks select on Sunday 4 March at Emirates Arena.

12. Team Scotland sends a strong squad of 12 to Gold Coast 2018 – meet the full team here.

Gold Coast 2018 sees Basketball return to the Commonwealth Games for the first time since the Melbourne 2006 Games and Team Scotland send a squad of 12 in the men’s event, looking to improve on the 6th place finish of 12 years ago. This Sunday 4 March 2018 will see the Scotland side take on a Glasgow Rocks Select in an exhibition match at the British Basketball League Trophy Finals at Glasgow’s Emirates Arena.

Look out for all things Basketball on Team Scotland’s website and social channels this week as the sport takes the spotlight in our Sport Focus Series, which features each of the 18 sports on the Gold Coast 2018 programme through athlete interviews, facts & figures, competition news and more.

Basketball at the Commonwealth Games

Basketball is an optional sport in the Commonwealth Games and has made one appearance at the Games to date when it was included at Melbourne 2006. In Melbourne the medal winning nations were identical in both men’s and women’s competitions with hosts Australia taking gold, New Zealand silver and England bronze. The sport makes its return for the Gold Coast 2018 Games where Scotland will once again participate in the men’s competition.

For both men’s and women’s events, the eight teams are divided into two Pools of four teams with the top four ranked teams placed in Pool A. At the conclusion of the Pool stage, the top two teams from Pool A will proceed to the semi-finals, whilst the bottom two teams from Pool A will play the top two teams from Pool B in the qualifying finals. The remaining two Pool B teams are eliminated. The winner of the qualifying finals will then proceed to compete in the semi-finals.

Find out more about Basketball in the Commonwealth Games, including the competition format, rules and equipment on our dedicated Basketball page.

Team Scotland 2018

Team Scotland have named a strong squad of 12 players for Gold Coast 2018, including Scotland and Great Britain captain Kieron Achara who was part of the GB team that took 9th place at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Fellow Glasgow Rocks player Gareth Murray is the sole returning member of the Scotland team that finished 6th at Melbourne 2006, while 17 year-old Callan Low becomes the youngest player ever to be selected for Team Scotland at the Commonwealth Games in Basketball. Jonathan Bunyan follows in brother Keith’s footsteps, who was part of the 2006 team, while young players Sean Nealon-Lino, Fraser Malcolm and Kyle Jimenez make the step up from representing Scotland U18 at the European Championships.

Experienced internationals Alasdair Fraser, Chris Cleary and Nick Collins strengthen the team and are joined by Michael Vigor and Bantu Burroughs, for whom Gold Coast 2018 will be their first major tournament for Scotland.

Click here to meet the full Basketball team for Gold Coast 2018.

A total of 211 athletes have been named to Team Scotland for Gold Coast 2018 to date, with athletes announced in all sports except Rugby 7s where players will be confirmed in March.

Show Your Support!

You can show your support by uploading photos and messages on our supporters page and give Team Scotland’s athletes a boost as they prepare to do the country proud on one of sport’s biggest stages!

Look out for other ways to get behind the team in the countdown to Gold Coast on Team Scotland’s social media channels.

Scotland at the Commonwealth Games

The Commonwealth Games is the only occasion where Scotland gets to compete in a multi-sport event as a nation in its own right and is one of only six countries to have competed in every Commonwealth Games since their inception in Hamilton in 1930. Represented by 15 athletes participating in six sports at those first Games, winning a very creditable 10 medals, Scotland have gone on to win medals at every Games since.

Edinburgh became the first city to hold the Games twice in 1970 and 1986 and also became the first city to host the Commonwealth Youth Games.

Scotland hosted the Games for a third time when Glasgow welcomed athletes and officials to the XXth Commonwealth Games which was held from 23rd July – 3rd August 2014. Team Scotland celebrated their most successful Games in history, winning a total of 53 medals.

Find out more about the Commonwealth Games and Team Scotland’s past success in our Past Games section.