Wales basketball duo targeting the friendly games

Issy Bunyan and Carys Roy are part of a four-player Wales squad for the home nations Commonwealth Games qualifying event [GB Basketball] Issy Bunyan and Carys Roy are besties - a friendship forged on basketball courts around the globe. They've played together from club level to Great Britain - and this weekend the US-based pair will try to help Wales qualify for the 3x3 basketball tournament at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. "Being able to represent Wales is what everyone dreams of," said Roy, who like Bunyan is 21.

"My favourite memories of basketball have always been in a Wales jersey, so I'm really excited. " Both Wales' women and men will compete in a round-robin event at the National Basketball Performance Centre in Manchester from 22-23 May. The winner's of Saturday's finals will claim the final spots for this summer's Games in this fast-paced, half-court version of traditional basketball, which features three players on each team playing for 10 minutes with 21 points the winning target.

Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games Ballot opens for Glasgow 2026 opening ceremony Roy and Bunyan have been sharing special moments on court since they were 15 years old. However, their paths to basketball were quite different. Roy, daughter of a Wales rugby international, is a convert from netball.

Bunyan followed in family footsteps, playing since childhood at Pontypridd Panthers, the club her father - former Just Rentals Rhondda and Wales centre Jon Bunyan - set up 15 years ago. "Izzy was only about five or six when I started the club and she was probably a little bit too young to join because we started it for under 10s," said Bunyan. "Her older brother was in the club at the time and she just kept pestering me, 'can I come play, can I come play?