The twin island Caribbean nation has never stepped foot on the podium after competing at 10 editions of the Games since its debut at Kingston in 1966.

Rayne is due to oversee 10 athletes in Birmingham - in athletics, boxing, cycling and swimming - and like other Caribbean nations their best hope of success perhaps comes in sprinting.

"That would be big-time," said Joel Rayne when asked about the possibility of reaching the Birmingham podium.

"In track and field we have never had anybody medal at that level - the Commonwealth Games, World Championships or Olympics.

"We have had medals at the Pan American Games and junior Games, but at the senior level, at those major meets, we are yet to medal. 

"So it would be a big, big thing here in Antigua and Barbuda."

Double Olympian Cejhae Greene ran a wind assisted 10.01sec in the 100 metres in Miami in April, and boasted the world leading time at one stage last year, heading into the rearranged 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

However, he was disappointed after exiting in the heats in Japan.

"He made it as far as the semi-finals at the Rio 2016 Olympics," said Rayne, the assistant secretary general of the Antigua and Barbuda Olympic Association.

"However, in Tokyo, given the COVID situation, his training was affected and he was dealing with some niggling injuries. 

"He didn't perform the way he thought he should.

"He's on the mend now so we're expecting great things from him.

"He won a bronze at the last Pan American Games, so we're just hoping that will carry on.

"We've competed in 10 Commonwealth Games to date, unfortunately for us we are yet to stand on the podium.

"So we're just hoping that an attempt comes this summer in Birmingham and we get some luck coming our way." 

Boxer Alston Ryan, who qualified for the men's lightweight competition at Tokyo 2020 outright after coming through the Americas qualifier, is another hope for Antigua and Barbuda.

For the full interview with Rayne, click here.