COLCHESTER’S Mark Lloyd says he will be fulfilling a long-term ambition when he takes part in next month’s Commonwealth Games.

Lloyd next week flies out to the Gold Coast, where he will be aiming to steer Team England’s men’s basketball team to success.

The experienced basketball coach, who has two decades’ worth of Great Britain and England coaching behind him, is Team Manager of the national squad that will travel Down Under with high hopes of returning with a medal.

Lloyd told the Daily Gazette: “I’m very excited about the prospect of being involved in the Commonwealth Games.

“I’ve been very lucky in that I’ve been to multiple European Championships, worked with different age groups on various England and Great Britain teams and also been fortunate to work with the Great Britain Paralympic team out in Athens, in 2004.

“But I have always aspired to go to the Commonwealth Games.

“The role of Team Manager means primarily looking after both players and coaching staff.

“Both the Team England men’s and women’s teams have a chance of medalling and that’s what we’ll be aiming to do.

“We have great teams and great staff going out there and we’ve had productive preparation camps.

“We’re in a good place but it will be a very tough competition.

“There are some strong teams there like Canada and Nigeria there but we’re in the mix and in amongst it.

"We have an opportunity to achieve on the big stage and give thousands of young people the role models to inspire them and the next generations to compete on that stage."

Team England’s first game of the tournament is against Scotland on April 5, followed by games against India and Cameroon.

“In any sport, a fixture between England-Scotland has a certain spice about it and it’s no different in basketball,” said Lloyd, who is also the Performance Head Coach of the University of Essex Blades’ men’s and women’s basketball teams.

“The players have been coupled together for Great Britain before and I’m sure it will be a hard-fought game.

“Scotland have prepared very heavily for it and most of their players have been playing for Glasgow Rocks, in the British Basketball League.

“They’ve appointed an Australian coach which should be interesting.

“It will be very tough but our coaching staff and players are all focused on what we can do.”

Lloyd, from West Mersea, presides over the successful Essex University basketball programme, which has made further strides this season.

He added: “The women’s team are doing particularly well - they won the National Basketball League division one title at the weekend and the men’s team are doing well, too.

“The fantastic new basketball facility is now open and things are really going from strength to strength.

“I came to Essex University two years ago in readiness for the new facility to grow but I don’t think anyone expected for it to have been as good as it is.

“It’s been fantastic and one of the best facilities in the country.”

Lloyd and the Team England squad will meet in Manchester next Wednesday, before flying out to Australia the following day.

The Commonwealth Games begin on April 4.