Mark settling in at Commonwealth village

Mark Montgomery, a 40-year-old firefighter from Aghalee, whose discipline is judo, said: “The village is fantastic, very clean and vast. The facilities are first class and we have loads to do during our down time. The athlete bus network is second to none, I travel to Edinburgh to train with my training partner and also one of my team mates and the transfer is both painless and speedy.

“The food hall is about the size of a football pitch, with every type of menu you can think of and it serves food 24/7. It’s so good in fact I’m trying to stay away as I have a weight to make on Friday, and after I compete on Saturday I intend to do some serious dining! The spirit within Team NI is very positive, and everyone is excited about the opening ceremony tomorrow night.

“It feels like home from home, the volunteers have been very welcoming and the weather is just like Northern Ireland, it’s good to catch up with friends from other countries, and find out how much their lives have changed in four short years.”