GWENT squash ace Alex Gough is a member of a very exclusive club and one that not many Welsh athletes will ever grace.

In 1998, under the sweltering heat of Kuala Lumpur's blistering skies, Newport-born Gough slammed his way to Commonwealth glory beating Craig Watnick in the quarter finals and guaranteeing the talented Welshman a bronze medal.

Gough lost in a tight semi-final to Jonathan Power, but his heroic exploits had already meant he had sealed his place in history with a rostrum finish to be proud of.

Wales bagged 15 medals in Malaysia and, as all eyes turn to Manchester for the next Commonwealth Games, Gough is determined to cement his stay in Wales' premier club with another medal-winning display.

He said: "I'm pretty confident I can do the business either in the singles or the doubles. "My form up until now has been good, though I have been hit by a virus which has effected my training a little. That's OK now, though, and I raring and ready to go.

"A medal is certainly a possibility - that's what I'm aiming for. I've beaten Peter Nichol, the world number one, this year and I really want to get as far as I did last time at the very least and in the doubles I think me and David Evans have a great chance of a medal."

Since making the break as a pro back in 1993, Gough has been a consistent player of the world-circuit, with eight tour wins to his name including the famous Lisbon Open in 1998. A career ranking high of number five in the world back in 1998 was followed by glory with his Welsh teammates as part of the national side that narrowly lost to Egypt in the World Team finals in 1999.

Since then, the 32-year-old has never fallen out of the top 15 and at number 12 in the world is perfectly poised for a genuine assault on the medals at this summer's showpiece event.

"These Games should be easier than the one's in Kuala Lumpur. Back then, we went out 12 days beforehand, but, this time round, we can prepare at home before travelling a couple of days before it all starts," the maths graduate explained.

There's also another bonus with the Games being on British soil that Gough is banking much of his hopes on - Wales' famous army of supporters.

"I'm really hoping we get a big crowd from Wales, and Gwent in particular, coming to support us. Hopefully, with them being on our doorstep, we'll get the kind of support that can really make the difference," said the star now based in Nottingham.

Unlike athletics, where many of the world's top guns don't qualify because of Commonwealth ancestry, squash pits the best against the great.

The Commonwealth countries boast the sport's leading stars and that makes medal success even sweeter.

"There's no escaping any of the good players at the Games. All the best players will be there and that means its tough from the outset. But if you can win a medal it makes it very special."

Gough and Evans should form a formidable partnership in the doubles and many people predict a certain medal.

He added: "We're starting to train together and I really do think we have a good chance. "It's never a case of luck of the draw, but there are a couple of players we won't to avoid like Peter Nichol and Lee Beachill and Dave Palmer and Paul Price. If we can perform like we know we can, then we have as good as chance as anyone else."