DALE GARLAND has been finding it hard to sleep in steamy Macau. And it’s his fault. Naughty boy, he forgot to bring his pillow, one of the instructions UK Athletics gave the 56-strong Great Britain team before they headed to their training camp in Macau where they are preparing for this weekend’s world athletics championships in Japan.

Garland laughed when pressed on the pillow question, one of the ‘to dos’ given to the team.

While colleagues have followed instructions and brought their own to use instead of those provided by plush hotels, Garland’s remained at home in the west country.

‘My pillows in Bath are rubbish anyway,’ he said, while explaining that he has struggled to get used to the time difference since arriving in the Chinese colony a week last Sunday.

‘It’s taken ages to get used to it [sleeping]. I’ve struggled basically. It was better in Australia.’

Not that Guernsey’s premier track and field athlete has not slept, he just doesn’t feel refreshed by it.

‘Every morning you wake up feeling really tired, even though you have slept well. But you get going and feel better later.’

On arrival in Macau, all athletes were ordered to lie in and enjoy the delights of breakfast in bed.

‘It was just a jet-lag measure basically. We had breakfast delivered in the room with the idea of not getting up in daylight.’

The athlete says he wants for little, such is the size of the UKA support team in the Far East. There are 10 medical officials, 17 coaches and four administration staff to tend to the needs of the team who are given a time slot for medical appointments.

‘There’s a massive support team,’ said Garland, ‘including sports scientists checking your hydration every morning.

‘All of us were given big boxes of electrolyte drinks to take.’

As for his regularly troublesome hamstring, the Sarnian reports all is well.

‘It’s been getting better. It was at its worst five or six days after the world trials but it’s fine now.’