Larne duo named in NI squad for Commonwealth Youth Games

With just a little over two months before the action begins, the Northern Ireland Commonwealth Games Council (NICGC) announced the majority of the team which will be competing in Samoa between September 5 and 11.

While still of tender years, the swimmers bring a lot of experience, with Hill having competed at last year’s Glasgow Commonwealth Games. She and Ferguson are joined by Emma Reid (Ards), Rachel Bethel (Lisburn) and James Brown (Ards). Four of this quintet are currently in Baku for the European Games while Ferguson is preparing for August’s World Junior Championships in Singapore where he’ll be joined by Bethel.

NICGC chairman, Robert McVeigh, said: “It’s a great honour for these young athletes to represent Northern Ireland at such a prestigious global event.

“ While it will be an arduous trip to Samoa, we will be endeavouring to make sure all the athletes and coaches are suitably prepared.”

The Commonwealth Youth Games will bring together 1000 young athletes for a festival of elite sport.

The Youth Games are a vital stepping stone for young athletes with previous local competitors including a certain Carl Frampton who represented Northern Ireland at the Bendigo Youth Games in 2004 before going on to become a boxing World champion.

Northern Ireland will be represented by 17 athletes across five sports: Aquatics, Athletics, Boxing, Lawn Bowls and Squash.

All of the competitors have been selected based upon nominations from their respective sport’s governing body and are aged between 15 and 18.