| Hosts: Birmingham Dates: 28 July to 8 August |
| Coverage: Watch live on BBC TV with extra streams on BBC iPlayer, Red Button, BBC Sport website and BBC Sport mobile app; Listen on BBC Radio 5 Live and Sports Extra; live text and clips online. |
Boxer Michaela Walsh and lawn bowls veteran Martin McHugh will lead out Northern Ireland as joint-flagbearers at Thursday’s Commonwealth Games opening ceremony.
The Birmingham Games will be McHugh’s seventh, putting him second only to shoot David Calvert (11) on the list of Team NI’s most appearances.
He claimed gold as part of the men’s four in Kuala Lumpur 24 years ago.
Walsh won silver at the past two Games, in Glasgow and the Gold Coast.
McHugh, 49, said he was “emotional” after being told the news.
“It is a great honour and a great privilege and it is something that I have always dreamed of representing Northern Ireland and leading them out as a flag bearer,” said McHugh.
“Each Commonwealth Games is unique but this one is now more unique because I’m getting to represent Northern Ireland and carry the flag.”
Boxer Walsh, 29, joked that she thought she “was in trouble for something” after being asked to meet with Northern Ireland’s chef de mission Alison Moffat-Robinson and boxing performance lead John Conlan on Monday.
“I’m delighted to be selected because the athletes we have in this team are phenomenal and for me just to be nominated and selected is unbelievable and something I didn’t expect and it’s a great honour,” added the two-time Games silver medallist.
Belfast fighter Walsh agonisingly missed out on becoming the first female boxer from Northern Ireland to claim Commonwealth gold when she lost to Nicola Adams in a split decision eight years ago.
In Australia four years later, the flyweight was defeated by home favourite Skye Nicolson in the final as she took home a second consecutive silver.
Walsh’s brother Aidan – a bronze medallist at last year’s Tokyo Olympics – is co-captain of a 12-strong boxing team expected to deliver another strong display in what is by some distance Northern Ireland’s most fruitful Commonwealth sport.
For McHugh, he is handed the flagbearer responsibility as he continues his incredible bowls partnership with Ian McClure, who himself is competing in a sixth Games having been part of that gold medal-winning team in 1998.
Northern Ireland’s chef de mission Moffat-Robinson said the duo had “competed with distinction at the very highest levels and are wonderful representatives of their sports and Team NI”.
Thursday’s opening ceremony will take place from 20:00 BST on Thursday and will be live on BBC One.
