2018 Commonwealth Games

While Mitchell was dismantling Test batting lineups around the world, and his namesake was warging into wolves and giants beyond the Wall, Brandon Starc was plugging away in track and field, claiming an eighth place here (Glasgow 2014), or a 15th place there (Rio 2016 Olympics) in international high jump.

But now, after an immaculate showing in front of a riveted home crowd, Starc claimed gold with a personal best jump of 2.32 metres — his first medal, let alone a gold, in a senior athletics meet.

The competition was tough in their respective divisions, with both players facing more seasoned professional opponents in the first two rounds main draw matches of the singles.

Being the pinnacle event for the sport of squash, the Games are strongly attended and dominated by top level professional squash athletes. PNG shows promise and has the potential to make it into the top ranks with the right training and support to its top level athletes.

It was an emotional day for PNG yesterday when Steven Kari not only successfully defended his Commonwealth Games title in the men’s 94 kilograms weightlifting event, but he also smashed the 17-year-old clean and jerk Commonwealth record.

“It’s a great moment for Steven and also for Team PNG,” said Team PNG Chef de Mission, Tamzin Wardley.

“We watched the sheer joy from Steven and the friends and family who were there.

PM O’Neill applauded every athlete who has made it to the games and said the country is behind them all the way.

"I congratulate all athletes who qualified for the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast,” the Prime Minister said in a statement.

"We know a lot of sweat and sacrifice has been required to reach to the Commonwealth Games and each of you must be congratulated.

“So far we have two silver medals in weightlifting events. I congratulate Morea Baru and Dika Toua for their tremendous efforts to win silver in their weightlifting events.

According to InsideTheGames, Kari was trailing Canada’s Boady Santavy by 13kg with two attempts remaining in the clean and jerk but incredibly managed to lift 216kg to claim victory with a total of 370kg.

It smashed the previous Commonwealth record, set by Australia’s Alexan Karapetyan in November 2001, by 6kg.

Victory for Kari also secured Papua New Guinea a first gold medal of Gold Coast 2018.

Santavy had to settle for the silver medal with a total of 369kg.

Thornhill was the victim of an uncomfortable dilemma Games officials have been wrestling with when she took out the gold medal in the women’s blind and visually impaired sprint at the Anna Meares Velodrome.

The 22-year-old and pilot Helen Scott conquered Aussie Jessica Gallagher and pilot Madison Janssen in the final, winning the first two races in their best of three showdown.

The problem is Gallagher and Janssen were nowhere to be seen when the medal presentation ceremony was conducted on Thursday night.

The packed arena added to the exciting atmosphere as the swimming competition went into its second day of competition.

Kalate, debuting for PNG at the Commonwealth Games, contested the men’s 100m breastroke heat and swam in a time of 1.08.11.

Fellow swimmers Sam Seghers, Joshua Tarere and Ashley Seeto also contested in their individual events yesterday with Seghers in the men’s 200m freestyle, Tarere in the 100m freestyle and Seeto also in the men’s 100m breaststroke.

In front of her family and a mass of PNG supporters, Toua took out the silver medal in the 53kg weightlifting competition.

Toua finished third in the Snatch section of the competition with lifts of 78kg and 80kg, with the Canadian and the Indian weightlifters ahead of her on weight.

Khumukcham broke the Commonwealth Games 53kg snatch record with a lift of 84kg to hold the lead.

Toua came back strongly in the Clean and Jerk starting after the majority of the field had completed their lifts, with a first lift of 102kg.

She's the youngest athlete at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, and it is believed she is the youngest athlete to represent Wales at senior level in any sport.

And while the dream for medals in the teams event is over after a quarter-final loss to Australia, Hursey is still gearing up for a shot at the singles starting April 10.

In her home country, she's a household name. In Australia, we're only just discovering this table tennis savant. But already, Hursey is drawing a crowd of international admirers.