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.