By Mike Burnett

Morgan will not defend his Commonwealth title in March

Long jumper Nathan Morgan has revealed he snubbed the Commonwealth Games because the World Indoor Championships are larger and more competitive.

The Commonwealth Games open on 15 March but the 27-year-old opted for the World Indoors, which start five days earlier.

"It's a bigger competition than the Commonwealth Games, particularly in my event," the Englishman told BBC Sport.

"I want to compete at every major games - I've never been to the World Indoors before, so that's one of my aims."

The Leicester-born athlete claimed Commonwealth gold in Manchester four years ago with a 8.02m jump.

I don't know if I'll be at the next World Indoors in two years - you have to take the opportunities you can Nathan Morgan

It was his first senior international title and was achieved in spite of a heel injury which kept him out of the European Championships later that summer.

But further injuries have taken their toll on the athlete, and he believes he must take the opportunity to compete at the World Indoors in Russia while he has the chance.

"There is always pressure because I have a history of injury," he added.

"Another injury and I could be out of the sport. I'm grateful for the opportunity to compete because I haven't done anything for the last two years.

"I don't know what's around the corner or if I'll be at the next World Indoors in two years. You never know what can happen - you have to take the opportunities you can."

Dwight Phillips will be competing in Russia and Birmingham

One clear advantage of the World Indoors is the chance for Morgan to pit himself against American pair, Olympic and World champion Dwight Phillips and reigning World Indoor champion Savante Stringfellow.

He will also face Phillips four weeks before in the Norwich Union Grand Prix in Birmingham on 18 February.

"He's the one that everyone wants to beat. It doesn't get much better for me than this - a home track meeting against the world and Olympic champion.

"To beat the best you have to compete against them as much as you can and Dwight has proved over the last two or three years just what a good athlete he is."

But Morgan gets his season under way in Glasgow with the Norwich Union International at Kelvin Hall.

"I've got Glasgow coming up which will be like a warm-up, making sure everything is in place," said the athlete, who plans to build up to this year's Europeans in Gothenburg with a solid indoor season.

"Because of the injuries I've had, I haven't really done anything over the last two years.