New Zealand - May 2022Representing your country in one sport is a fantastic achievement, but Nigel Avery has done so in three.

injury curtailed his career in triple jumping.He then moved into bobsleigh before finally settling on weightlifting

Despite not making the Winter Olympics, bobsleigh provided a direct link to weightlifting."

 "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.

 "And all those things helped with weightlifting. I guess I was fortunate by accident."

Nauru - July 2022Nauru is the third smallest country in the world but boasts a proud Commonwealth Games record that many larger nations would envy.

Auckland in 1990.Nauru is the smallest country in the Commonwealth but has a fantastic medal record in weightlifting

then starting to become involved.Coffa moved to Nauru in the 1990s to set up the acclaimed Oceania Weightlifting

Kiribati - June 2022In 2014, David Katoatau won a stunning Commonwealth Games gold medal in weightlifting

Kiribati's team in Birmingham will compete in boxing, athletics and weightlifting - although David has

Fiji - July 2022Fiji has won three gold medals in its Commonwealth Games history but titles in rugby sevens are what the country really wants.

athletes in Birmingham, with rugby joined by athletics, boxing, judo, lawn bowls, squash, table tennis and weightlifting

Fiji's only gold medal at Gold Coast 2018 but she has now switched nationalities to Australia.Other weightlifting

Sri Lanka - July 2022To say that Sri Lanka's preparations for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games have been rocky is something of an understatement. 

badminton, beach volleyball, boxing, cricket, gymnastics, judo, rugby sevens, squash, table tennis, weightlifting

country's largest haul at a single Commonwealth Games.All of the podium finishes came in either boxing or weightlifting

Commonwealth silver medallist Indika Dissanayake will be part of a strong weightlifting team ©Getty ImagesSri

Singapore - March 2022Lim Heem Wei knows only too well why the Commonwealth Games are nicknamed the "Friendly Games".

50 athletes with confirmed sports so far including athletics, badminton, table tennis, swimming and weightlifting

Pakistan - July 2022You 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.

in athletics, aquatics, badminton, boxing, cricket, gymnastics, hockey, judo, squash, table tennis, weightlifting

big hope for Pakistan in the men's javelin ©Getty ImagesNooh Dastgir Butt, meanwhile, won heavyweight weightlifting

Pakistan has a good chance of medals in wrestling, weightlifting, judo and athletics.

 Nooh Dastgir Butt is a Commonwealth Games bronze medallist in heavyweight weightlifting ©Getty

Malaysia - January 2022Malaysia'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.

swimming, athletics, badminton, cycling, gymnastics, judo, lawn bowls, squash, triathlon, table tennis, weightlifting

medals, two were from badminton, one from diving, one from lawn bowls, one for gymnastics and two from weightlifting

Brunei Darussalam - July 2022Brunei Darussalam will compete in two sports at Birmingham 2022, with most of their attention due to be on the lawn bowls greens.

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

He dedicates all of his effort to weightlifting and Birmingham 2022."

Bangladesh - July 2022Bangladesh returned home from the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games with a pair of silver medals, which for them represented a good result.

Oregon.He will be overseeing around 30 athletes in athletics, boxing, gymnastics, swimming, table tennis, weightlifting

Seychelles - October 2021As 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.

while they are hoping to qualify in the new sport of 3x3 basketball, beach volleyball, table tennis and weightlifting

while the country, which relies heavily on its National Sports Council, has also reached the podium in weightlifting

Papua New Guinea - July 2022With more than 850 known languages spoken, Papua New Guinea is one of the most diverse countries in the world.

squash, swimming, table tennis and weightlifting.Athletes to watch include Dika Toua and Morea Baru in weightlifting

Morea Baru won weightlifting silver at Gold Coast 2018 ©Getty ImagesPapua New Guinea received a funding

Nigeria - May 2022The inclusive combination of able-bodied and Para-sports at the Commonwealth Games is something that has really benefited Nigeria.

country in athletics and Para-athletics, boxing, judo, powerlifting, table tennis and Para-table tennis, weightlifting

Mauritius - July 2022Mauritius did not win a medal at the first nine Commonwealth Games the country attended, but since then they have always appeared on the podium.

Mauritius in all, in athletics, badminton, boxing, cycling, judo, swimming, table tennis, triathlon, weightlifting

Lesotho - May 2022Africa is not known for its cold weather, but Lesotho is not like most African countries.

variant.Sebota then hoped to secure qualification to Birmingham at an event in Mauritius, but the International Weightlifting

blocked him after saying it had not received his whereabouts information.This was denied by the Lesotho Weightlifting

Our best [weightlifting] athlete is not coming, he was affected by issues surrounding COVID-19," said