72 young athletes, aged between 14-18, have been selected to represent Team England at this year’s Commonwealth Youth Games in The Bahamas.
The 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games will provide young athletes with a fantastic opportunity to gain valuable experience of a multi-sport competition to support their development.
A host of future stars will be heading to the Caribbean from 19-23 July 2017 competing in athletics, swimming, rugby 7s, beach volleyball, judo, boxing and tennis.
Notable young athletes in the squad include two-time national junior boxing champion Ivan Price, 2016 European Youth Championships Long Jump gold medallist Holly Mills and Beach Volleyball U20 British Champions Joaquin and Javier Bello, who will all have the opportunity to represent Team England for the first time.
They will follow in the footsteps of Team England and Olympic heroes Jessica Ennis-Hill, Beth Tweddle, James de Gale and Danny Care in representing England at the Commonwealth Youth Games.
The 2017 Bahamas Games will feature up to 1300 athletes who will compete across nine sports for 94 medals including Judo and Beach Volleyball for the first time.
Sarah Winckless, Chef de Mission for Commonwealth Games England said:
“I’m delighted that we will be taking such a talented group of young athletes to the Commonwealth Youth Games. For many this will be their first experience of a multi-sport Games environment and a key milestone on their pathway.
“These young athletes represent the pride of England and I know everyone back home will be wishing them all the best for the competition.
“This is the largest team we’ve sent overseas to a Commonwealth Youth Games and for the team behind the team the Commonwealth Youth Games represents an important staging post on the road to the Gold Coast next year.”
The first Commonwealth Youth Games was held in Edinburgh in 2000 and Team England has taken part in all editions since. Bahamas 2017 will be the largest international sporting event ever hosted in The Bahamas, and the largest-ever edition of the Commonwealth Youth Games.
The most recent Commonwealth Youth Games were in Samoa in 2015, when England came third in the medal table behind South Africa and Australia.
Young swimming sensation Layla Black, who claimed two gold medals at Samoa 2015 will get the chance to experience her second Commonwealth Youth Games, having been selected to represent Team England at this year’s edition.
Swimmer, Layla Black said:
“It feels great to have been selected for my second Commonwealth Youth Games. It fills me with a great sense of pride to have been chosen to represent my country again.
“I am looking forward to swimming fast, meeting new people and experiencing a new culture in the Bahamas.”
