Here's five people from region around Whanganui to watch out for at the 2022 Commonwealth Games

Bulls' Emile Richardson will compete in the men's middleweight (71kg - 75kg) boxing in Birmingham.

Four athletes and one coach from the Whanganui area will be taking part in the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

The games are being held in Birmingham, England from July 28 to August 8, with the first events starting on July 29.

Two boxers from the Rangitīkei District will be representing New Zealand, with Marton's Onyx Lye and Bulls' Emile Richardson competing in the men's light heavyweight (75kg-81kg) and middleweight (71kg-75kg) categories respectively.

In April this year, both men won New Zealand amateur boxing titles in their respective weight categories at the New Zealand Amateur Boxing Nationals in Whanganui.

Lye has also won Manawatū, Auckland and Central North Island regional championships, as well as being a Tongan, Western Australian, Queensland Golden Gloves, New Zealand Golden Gloves and Anzac super series champion.

Earlier in the year, while he was preparing for the games, Lye said he was going into the competition mostly blind.

"I haven't really seen many people in those top level stages of the Commonwealth scene, so I'm sort of going in blind but hoping for the best."

Richardson was originally the reserve for the boxing squad but got called up to the games with not much time to spare.

Despite this, Richardson believed he had a good shot at the gold.

"I think I have the goods to beat these guys. I've had international experience before which will help," he said.

Building up to the games, Richardson shared a gym with two-time Commonwealth Games gold medal winner, David Nyika.

Both men's first rounds will be taking place on Friday, July 29, with Richardson's round of 32 bout taking place between 11pm and 1.45am, and Lye's round of 32 taking place between 5.30am and 8am.

Feilding's Mya Rassmussen will be taking part in the games as a swimmer, competing in the 400m and 200m individual medley and the 200m breaststroke.

In 2017 Rassmussen won the 400m individual medley at the Youth Commonwealth Games, in a lifetime best time that would have qualified her for the previous year's Rio Olympics.

Now living in Australia, Rassmussen clocked a time of 4:42.33s in the medley at the New South Wales championships in January this year, a time good enough to secure her spot in the swimming team for Birmingham.

Rassmussen's 400m medley heat will take place on July 29 between 9.30pm and 12.15am, the 200m breaststroke heat will be held on July 31 between 9.30pm and 11.15pm, and the 200m medley heat will be held on August 1 between 9.30pm and 12am.

Whanganui runner Geordie Beamish will be competing in the men's 5000m.

In March this year, the former Whanganui Collegiate School student represented New Zealand at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Belgrade, Serbia.

At that event, he competed in the men's 3000m run, and finished 10th in the final, after posting the second fastest overall time in the qualifying heats.

Earlier in July he also competed at the recent World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, taking part in the 5000m.

In his heat, Beamish posted a time of 13m 36s, good enough to place 23rd out of the 41 competitors, but not good enough to qualify for the final.

Beamish's men's 5000m final will take place on August 6 between 5.30am and 8.45am.

Whanganui City College teacher and Judo Club coach, Gary Davies is also headed to Birmingham as a coach for the New Zealand judo squad.

The judo events will be taking place from August 1 to August 3.