Squash player Luca Reich opened BVI’s competitions at Birmingham 2022 with his Commonwealth Games debut today, July 29, which also is his 19th birthday.
Reich pushed his game up a level as he fought for points against Emyr Evans representing Wales and came off the squash court at the University of Birmingham venue satisfied with winning some points against the PSA world ranked 93 player for a match result of 11-1, 11-3, 11-0 to Evans.
Later that same evening, Joe Chapman played his first match of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games competing against Abhay Singh of India.
Following 3 fast-paced games, where each player made use of all corners of the court, Chapman conceded the match to Singh in 3 games 11-5, 11-5, 11-5.
Chapman, who felt the two of them were well-matched, was satisfied with his performance in the preliminaries.
Both Reich and Chapman play again in the Plate Men’s Singles Round of 32 on Sunday, July 31.
The historic 3×3 basketball team will debut at Birmingham 2022 as the first basketball team to represent the territory at the Commonwealth Games in what will be tough matches against more experienced and established teams from large countries.
Joy Victor, Shauliqua Fahie, Keithrece Smith and Mahkayla Pickering are set to face Canada and England on Saturday, July 30 when they compete in Group B at 3:55pm (10:55am BVI time) and 9:35pm (4:35pm BVI time) respectively. Matches will be played at a temporary arena which has been constructed at the Smithfield site in the centre of Birmingham.
The players have been acclimating and have already met their Canadian opponents since their arrival at the Friendly Games.
“It’s been an eye-opening but good experience for all the athletes who are new to competing at major Games,” said Mark Chapman, Chef de Mission for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. “The team has come together and has settled quickly and smoothly into a routine at the Athletes’ Village, adapting to the time difference and making sure they get their practice sessions in. Everyone is looking forward to the arrival of the other athletes over the course of the weekend to compete the team.”
Track and field athletes, Kyron McMaster, the defending 400m hurdles Commonwealth Games champion, Eldred Henry (shot put), and Deya Erickson (100m hurdles) along with cyclists Darel Christopher Jr and Sam Talbot are due into Birmingham in the next two days.
“I have spent some time with the team, been to watch some of the squash and the basketball practice session, and have seen Ashley Kelly in action as the Athlete Representative for the Caribbean region of the Commonwealth Games Federation and can say that all our athletes are doing us proud with their ambassadorial behavior,” said Ephraim Penn, President of the BVI Commonwealth Games Association. “This is a great opportunity for our up and coming athletes to get their feet wet as part of the process of developing into serious competitors on the international stage and they all seem to be taking advantage of it. We look forward to watching and supporting them in their competitions.”
Track and field competitions start on August 2 and the cyclists compete in their first event – time trial – on August 4.
Birmingham 2022 is the 22nd edition of the Commonwealth Games with 11 days of sports comprising 286 sessions, covering 19 sports in which athletes from 72 nations will compete for championship titles.
