Young athletes to fly Scotland flag in Bahamas

Games: Nine chosen from Tayside and Fife

Tayside and Fife athletes will make up more than one-fifth of the Scottish team in the sixth Commonwealth Youth Games in the Bahamas.

The youngsters, aged between 15 and 18, will compete for Team Scotland from July 18 to 23.

The team is 41-strong and the nine local athletes are Scott McLay of Perth (swimming), Adam Scott and Bethany McAndrew of Kirkcaldy (athletics), Craig Morgan of Kelty (boxing), Ryan Reekie of Cowdenbeath (boxing), Emma Forrest of Dunfermline (judo), Fiona Todman of Kirkcaldy (judo), Sam Hickey of Dundee (boxing) and Sophie Smith of Arbroath (swimming).

The concept of the Youth Games was created by Scotland in 2000 with the aim of developing young athletes and giving them an early experience of an international multi-sport environment.

The event now has a proven track record of uncovering future champions at senior level, with 35 athletes selected for Glasgow 2014 having competed in Youth Games over recent years including medallists Charlie Flynn, Josh Taylor, Daniel Keatings, Hannah Miley and Lynsey Sharp.

The last Youth Games in Samoa in 2015 also created a number of potential future stars who are aiming for selection for the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games next year.

The Bahamas 2017 Youth Games will see a number of firsts, with judo, Team Scotland’s most successful sport at Glasgow 2014, making its Commonwealth Youth Games debut. Beach volleyball is also included for the first time ahead of its Commonwealth Games debut at Gold Coast 2018.

Megan Gordon of Moray becomes the first female boxer to compete for Scotland at any Commonwealth Games event, with European Junior Championship medallist, 17-year-old Dundonian Hickey, also included in a talented boxing squad.

Athletics name a strong line-up, featuring Fife 1,500m runner Scott who erased Josh Kerr’s under-17 Scottish record last summer.

Eight swimmers will take to the pool for Team Scotland. Perth’s McLay is also set to compete for Great Britain at the European Junior Championships in Israel at the end of June.

The team will be led by Scotland rugby sevens’ highest capped player and third highest points scorer of all-time, Colin Gregor, as general team manager.

Now a director on the Commonwealth Games Scotland board, he will be responsible for the overall leadership and management of the team at Bahamas 2017 and is keen to share his extensive sporting experience with the next generation of Team Scotland athletes.

On the 50 days to go squad announcement, he said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for these young athletes to experience what the Commonwealth Games is all about and the start of an exciting journey, which I hope will see many of these athletes going on to represent Team Scotland at senior level.

“I wish Team Scotland 2017 every success in the Bahamas.”