The Commonwealth Games has become a multi-sports party that struggles to pull high-profile guests but enthusiastic host Australia has promised a beach-side bash on the Gold Coast

to reaffirm the event's place in the global landscape.

More than 6,600 athletes and team officials from 71 Commonwealth nations and territories will flock to the glitzy resort strip and other cities in sun-drenched Queensland to compete in 18 sports ranging from athletics to lawn bowls.

No other nation brings quite the same fervour to the quadrennial Games as Australia, and the hosts will have a full stable of stars in their record 473-athlete delegation when the event opens on Wednesday.

Outside the country, however, the Games lacks the same pulling power and recent editions have been almost as notable for their absentees as their confirmed starters.

Barring a token appearance for Jamaica in the relays at Glasgow, athletics' most bankable drawcard Usain Bolt steered clear of the showpiece during his brilliant career.

A host of track and field's biggest names will similarly dodge the Gold Coast, including Olympic 800 metres champion David Rudisha and fellow Kenyan Asbel Kiprop, the three-times world champion in the 1,500m.

Canadian triple Olympic sprint medallist Andre De Grasse withdrew to focus on the outdoor season, while South Africa's Olympic and world 400m champion Wayde van Niekerk is sidelined with injury.

There will still be enough quality on show, however, to draw crowds to Carrara

Stadium, where Jamaica's latest sensation Elaine Thompson, the reigning Olympic 100 and 200m champion, will headline the women's sprints.

Her team mate Yohan Blake, a former 100m world champion, will also highlight the men’s event and hope to step out of the shadow of his former training partner Bolt.

A number of their top swimmers skipped last year's world championships in Hungary to focus on the Gold Coast and some will be hugely motivated for success after flopping at the Rio Olympics.

Former 100m world record holder Cate Campbell, who finished sixth at Rio after being the raging favourite for gold, has returned to form after a year-long sabbatical.

Men's Olympic 100m champion Kyle

Chalmers may face his stiffest test against another Australian in Cameron McEvoy, who owns the fastest time in a textile swimsuit (47.04 seconds).

BANGLADESH AT THE GAMES The Bangladesh contingent left for the Gold Coast on Sunday, while the shooting team had an earlier start, leaving on March 24 to acclimatise to the foreign conditions.

Bangladesh - who will also be represented in swimming, boxing, weightlifting, athletics and wrestling -sent 13 shooters, the biggest contingent for Bangladesh, to compete in the discipline which holds the most hope of bringing a medal to the country.

Bangladesh have so far won six medals from shooting while failing to produce medals in any other discipline