Highlights to look out for on day one of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games

The Olympics Sports team Abdul Rahim and Muhammad Sadiq Padela, Gold Coast Australia, Apr 04, 2018:Five highlights to look out for on day one of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games on Thursday 5 April (Chanu Saikhom MIRABAI).

Bar belle
Weightlifting, from 09:42
India’s Chanu Saikhom MIRABAI is the only 2017 weightlifting world champion at GC2018, having missed her sister’s wedding to go for gold in Anaheim, California, USA, last year.

The star of a powerhouse Indian team, she will compete in the 48kg division in which she holds all three Commonwealth records – snatch, clean and jerk, and total.

Hoops, mon
Basketball, from 17:33
Kieron ACHARA makes his Commonwealth Games debut, 12 years after he missed Melbourne 2006 with a shoulder injury, as his Scotland team takes on England at Townsville Entertainment and Convention Centre.

ACHARA, who played at the London 2012 Olympic Games for Great Britain, represents Scotland for the first time at a major tournament.

Glove affair
Boxing, from 12:02
William LE POULLAIN will create history as the first person to represent Guernsey in boxing at a Commonwealth Games. He is scheduled to step into the ring at 13:32 to take on Gul ZAIB (PAK) in the 69kg weight division.

The 22-year-old confirmed his selection for GC2018 by reaching the semifinals of the England national titles in 2017.
Racket call

Squash, from 12:30
British Virgin Islands’ Neville SORRENTINO makes his Commonwealth Games debut at 55. He first picked up a racket at age 40 and is the oldest squash competitor at GC2018.

SORRENTINO is scheduled to play Pakistan’s Tayyab ASLAM in round one of the men’s singles at 13:30.

Preparations have been far from ideal for SORRENTINO following the destruction caused by Hurricane Irma in September 2017. He has been restricted to training on just one court, with the British overseas territory’s other three courts without a roof or floor.

Mack attack
Swimming, from 10:31
The latest in a long line of top Australian distance swimmers, Mack HORTON is chasing his first individual gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in his favourite event, the 400m freestyle.

He won gold in the event at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and took silver at last year’s world championships in Budapest. The 21-year-old has entered also the 200m and 1500m freestyle individual events at GC2018. —- GC2018