Commonwealth Games 2014: Everything you need to know

• By Chris Pyke

The 20th edition of the Commonwealth starts in Glasgow next week. If you want to know when and where to watch, who is competing for Wales and how much the athletes will eat (really important fact alert) we have the answers

Cyclist Geraint Thomas will be competing for Wales

It's been a disappointing summer for British sport so far, but things could perk up when the 20th Commonwealth Games begin in Glasgow.
Among those who've cut their sporting teeth at the Commonwealth Games in the past are Scottish runner Liz McColgan, who took gold in the 10,000 metres in Edinburgh in 1986, and Australian sprinter Cathy Freeman, who won gold in both the 200 and 400 metres in the 1994 Games in Canada.
If you don't have tickets to see the sporting stars go for gold, you can still soak up the action by tuning into the BBC's extensive coverage, starting on Wednesday, July 23 until Sunday, August 3.
To whet your appetite, here's a guide to the Games...

           
The teams
Compared to the 204 countries who sent athletes to the London Olympics, just 71 nations are taking part in the Commonwealth Games. As per previous Games, the United Kingdom will send separate home teams.
Who to watch
Top sporting stars like Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, English runner Mo Farah and cyclist Sir Bradley Wiggins, along with Welsh cyclist Geraint Thomas and Scottish track and field athlete Eilidh Child are all set to appear, so it's no wonder the Commonwealth Games are big business.
Ones to watch out for are Glaswegian swimmer Michael Jamieson, best known for winning the silver medal in the 200m breaststroke final at the London 2012 Olympics, Grenadian sprinter Kirani James, Australian swimmer Alicia Coutts and Kenyan distance runner David Rudisha. And then there's Welsh para-athlete Aled Davies, who took the gold for his discus throw in the London 2012 Paralympic Games.
How to watch
The opening and closing ceremonies will be shown live from Glasgow's Celtic Park and Hampden Park stadiums respectively, with Gary Lineker back from Brazil to take on presenting duties alongside Clare Balding, Gabby Logan, Irvine and Huw Edwards.
The 11 days of Games will be shown across BBC One and BBC Three, as well as online and on the radio.
What's special about these games?
As well as drawing huge names like Bolt and Farah, the Games are also special in having the highest number of para-sport medals in Commonwealth history, with 22 up for grabs across five para-sports.
The para-events will be staged concurrently throughout the Games. And there are plenty of medal hopes from the UK, in the form of Welsh captain and discus thrower Aled Davies, Scottish cyclist Aileen McGlynn, English athlete David Weir and visually impaired sprinter Jason Smyth from Northern Ireland. There will also be the Commonwealth Games' first ever women's boxing event.
Whos' on hand to help?
Dotted around the stadiums will be up to 15,000 volunteers who've been dubbed Clyde-siders, as a nod to the city's river and the Glasgow Games mascot Clyde.
Food for thought?
When thousands of athletes descend upon a city for an international sporting event, it's understandable that huge orders of food to help fuel their ambitions for stardom soon follow.
And with an expected 4,250 sports stars heading to Glasgow for this summer's Commonwealth Games, the Athletes Village is brimming with food.
Indeed, when the athletes aren't competing in the Games' 261 medal events, they might be found tucking in to an estimated 60,000 potatoes, 500,000 pieces of fruit and 25,000 litres of milk, served up in the Athletes' Village.
Once their tummies are full, they can relax by playing pool on one of the 12 tables, or by perusing one of the 13 different editions of the Village newspaper.
The 14 Welsh medal hopes for Glasgow 2014

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14 medal hopes for Glasgow 2014

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The Commonwealth Games in numbers
390,000 meals will be served up to the athletes during the Games.
The Athletes' Village is as big as 54 football pitches put together.
840 shuttlecocks will be used across the Badminton competition at the Emirates Arena.
15-year-old schoolboy Aamir Mehmood designed the Glasgow 2014 official tartan.
Athletes running the marathon on Sunday, July 27 will cross the River Clyde four times as they push themselves towards the finish line.
The Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games begins on the BBC on Wednesday, July 23, with coverage planned on their TV and radio channels, as well as online           
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