Scotland at the Commonwealth Games

Image source, Team Scotland

Scotland made a steady start on the basketball court with the men's team recording two wins from their three games on a frenetic Friday at the SEC Centre.

The high-energy 3x3 playground-esque style game is an absorbing watch, and the home crowd were given even more reason to be hooked with the Scots storming to two comfortable victories against Guyana and Cayman Islands, before falling short against Australia.

The clinical Scots, spearheaded by the towering Skyler White, were too strong in their opening two games, but faced a tougher evening match against the Aussies - who have made the perfect start, winning all three of their games.

Amy Canavan
BBC Sport Scotland

Image source, Team Scotland

Jason Banks made it two wins from two in the men's singles on a mixed day for Team Scotland in the bowls at the SEC Centre.

Former world number one, Banks, backed up his first group game win on Thursday with another straight sets victory, this time against Pakistan's Mohammed 'Chico' Qureshi - who runs an Indian restaurant in Glasgow.

The 30-year-old stormed to a 16-2 win in the first set, scooping up two full-houses of four bowls in a single end along the way, before a tighter 7-3 victory in the second set.

Banks faces Fiji and Wales over the weekend, before rounding off his Group C campaign against England on Monday morning.

The women's pairs endured the mixed emotions of the tie-break on their first day of action.

Beth Riva and Caroline Brown agonisingly lost out to Jersey in the one-end shootout of their first game, after the teams took one set each.

But, they used that experience in their second Group D game against Norfolk Island to pick up their first win in fantastic fashion.

Trailing 6-1 in the first set with just one end to go, the Scots scored a maximum six shots in the last to snatch the set. And though they lost the second 6-1, they dug deep to claim the tie-breaker and secure much-welcomed win.

The Para-mixed pairs also recorded one win and one defeat on their first day on the carpet.

The team - made up of lead Mary Stevenson and director James Aitken, along with skip Robert Barr and director Sarah-Jane Ewing, kick-started their defence of the title with a comprehensive 8-3, 6-1 win over South Africa, but were left stunned by a straight sets defeat to New Zealand at night.

Image source, SNS

There was a mixed start for Scotland's boxers at the Commonwealth Games as Leo Church progressed to the last 16 of the men's 65kg, but Aaron Cullen was beaten in the last 32 of the men's 55kg.

Church cruised to a 5-0 win on points against Nauru's Vi-J Tebouwa and will face Zambia's Emmanuel Katema next.

However, Cullen lost 5-0 on points to India's Jadumani Singh Mangengbam.

Richard Winton
BBC Sport Scotland at the SEC Armadillo

Image source, PA Media

If you're going to take part in your first ever competition in your home country, why not wait for it it be in a Commonwealth Games?

Finlay Davidson certainly revelled in an occasion which started with Outlander actor Sam Heughan DJ-ing and ended with the Inverkeithing lifter waving gleefully to his supporters, many of them bedecked in mullet wigs in tribute to him.

Ultimately he finished fifth - outperforming his ranking by two places - despite suffering an untimely strain to his trap while training last week.

"I would have liked to come out with a medal, but fifth was better than I thought because with the injury I knew I wasn't going to be 100," Davidson said.

The 21-year-old only transferred to Para-powerlifting in 2022, having first experienced it at the Dwarf Sports Association UK Games, and soon his ambitions in discus and shot put were eclipsed by a new passion.

Davidson's rapid rise ensured he came into this ranked seventh in the Commonwealth in the men's lightweight (under 72kg) category and made sure he would finish no lower than that in Glasgow by winning Group B.

After striding out and being strapped to the bench, the Fifer benchpressed 156kg, 161kg then 166kg for a points total of 141.4.

"It was unreal," said the Scot, who proudly posed on stage pre-event in his kilt having had to miss Thursday's Opening Ceremony.

Amy Canavan
BBC Sport Scotland at SEC Centre

Image source, SNS

Jason Banks recorded Team Scotland's first win at Glasgow 2026 as he defeated Robert Simpson from Jamaica in straight sets in his opening group game of the bowls men's singles.

Former world indoor champion, Banks, stormed to a 10-2, 8-5 win on the portable rink at the SEC Centre.

Despite losing a one in both of the first two ends of the first set, the 30-year-old from Inverurie scored in the remaining five for a comfortable win as he found his groove in front of a passionate home support.

Simpson though started the much better of the pair in the second set, with the 67-year-old leading 5-1 after four ends.

But Banks clawed back with a momentum-boosting three in the fifth end to move to just one shot back with two to go.

The pair were peeled going into the last after the Scot picked up a tight one in the sixth - so close the umpire required calipers - and he made the most of picking the jack length of his choice, securing a match-winning three in the last end.

Banks faces Glasgow-based Mohammed 'Chico' Qureshi of Pakistan - who lost in straight sets against Wales - on Friday in his second Group C game (16:45 BST).

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Commonwealth Games gold medallist Sam Hickey hopes Scotland's new generation of amateur fighters don't go "jumping the gun and turning pro too early".

Hickey was one of the Team Scotland headline makers at the last Games, winning middleweight gold in Birmingham four years ago.

He will have a keen eye on how the 11 home fighters selected this time round fare in the ring at the SEC Centre in Glasgow over the coming days.

"Go out there, impress, box the way you box," Hickey told BBC Scotland.

"I know all the Scotland squad that will be going to the games, so they all know the score.

"They have been around and I am sure they look at the previous squads and want to do the same thing."

Hickey turned professional two years ago and the 26-year-old Dundonian has gone on to win all five of his fights so far in the paid ranks.

Patience appears to be his message to those harbouring dreams of following in his footsteps.

"And the future generations, the next crop of fighters coming through, just don't be jumping the gun and turning pro too early," Hickey added.

"Make sure you stay amateur, get your fundamentals and stuff and try and get to a Commonwealth Games and try and get to an Olympic Games.

'That got taken away from me with the weight category, try and get to an Olympic games, be the first [Scottish] boxer to go to an Olympic games since Josh Taylor in 2012.

"That will open a lot of doors for any Scottish fighter, even more doors than what a Glasgow gold or a Birmingham gold would give you.

"So I would advise any boxer with some sort of ambition in boxing to try and aim for the top - Olympic gold, Commonwealth gold, European gold."