Commonwealth Games 2022 countries: which nations and territories will compete in Birmingham - entry explained

Here is everything we know about the countries and athletes set to feature at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham which start this week.
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The Commonwealth Games is set to return to the UK this week after Australia hosted the previous tournament four years ago.

The games will take place in Birmingham and will be the third time England has played host to the highly anticipated competition - with the previous time coming in 2002.

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Fans wont have long before they can watch the Games on TV or in the flesh, with the competition set to get underway on Thursday 28th July 2022.

The opening ceremony will be held at Alexandra Stadium, before the first of the sporting events are scheduled for the following day and will run until Monday 8 August.

To stay tuned with the Games, over 200 hours of action will be broadcast on BBC One, BBC Two and BBC Three.

How many countries will feature in the Commonwealth Games?

Birmingham 2022 CWG is expected to feature 72 teams which will include tthe 54 Commonwealth of Nations countries and 18 territories.

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The first Games - formerly known as the British Empire Games - was held in 1930 and originally featured only eleven countires with a total of 400 athletes.

Who will compete for England?

Team England confirmed the 72 athletes that will compete for the country at this summer’s Commonwealth Games last month.

These athletes will go alongside the two marathon runners previously announced, as well as the 21 para-athletes confirmed in May.

Current world 200m champion Dina Asher-Smith will compete for the women’s 100m and 4x100m after she won gold in the latter four years ago, while Katarina Johnson-Thompson will also be defending her heptathlon Commonwealth title.

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Olympic silver and bronze medalists Keeley Hodgkinson and Holly Bradshaw will also be in attendance, as well as relay team Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, Zharnel Hughes, Asha Philip and Lorraine Ugen.

One noteable absence from the team is Olympic gold medallist Tom Daley, with the 28-year-old explaining on Instagram that he had decided to take a year out from diving to rest and be with his family.

Which countries and territories will compete?

There is one extra country that will participate in the Games this year, with the Maldives set to be the only addition from the 2018 edition.

Six nations - Australia, Canada, England, New Zealand, Scotland and Wales - have been part of all 21 of the Commonwealth Games so far.

Here are all 72 teams competing in Birmingham:

How do athletes qualify for the Games?

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Over 5000 athletes now compete at the Commonwealth Games in more than 15 different sports and more than 250 events.

Unlike the Olympics where the qualifying process is the same for every country, qualifying standards for the Commonwealth Games can vary from nation to nation.

The respective federations will set their own marks which athletes need to beat within a set qualfiying window (1st January - 12th June 2022) to be eligible for selection.

In a document published by England Athletics, it explains that their selection criteria includes:

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• The Commonwealth Ranking lists at the time of the selection meeting (Monday 13th June)

• Current form

• Consistency of performances

• Previous National and International Championship performance history

• Head to head performances within the qualification period

• Injury/illness

• Any other factor that may impact on an athlete’s ability to win a medal

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