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.”

Full Team England squad for Bahamas 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games:

Aquatics

Layla Black, Leeds

Lily Boseley, Ashfield

Harry Constantine, Dunstable

Leah Crisp, Wakefield

Thomas Dean, Maidenhead

Jakob Goodman, Sevenoaks

Elizabeth Harris, Stoke-On-Trent

James McFadzen, Newbury

Jahrel Murphy, London

Ciara Schlosshan, Leeds

Mason Wilby, Coalville

Alicia Wilson, Guildford

Athletics

Vera Chinedu, London

Chad Miller, Thornton Heath

Georgina Adam, Lincoln

Amber Anning, Hove

Emma Alderson, Liverpool

Joshua Allen, Stockton-On-Tees

Alex Botterill, York

Isabelle Boffey, London

Anna Burt, Bath

Luke Duffy, Nottingham

Joshua Lay, Northampton

Olivia Mason, Workington

Anna Smith, Newark

Claudia Lance Jones, Guildford

Jack Sumners, Stratford-Upon-Avon

Sam Bennett, Basildon

Pippa Earley, New Malden

Seamus Derbyshire, Stoke-On-Trent

Joshua Faulds, Rugby

Holly Mills, Andover

Lucy Hadaway, York

Gaia Osborne, Southsea

Serena Vincent, Southampton

Don Baker, Ipswich

Emma Howe, Chester

Boxing

Aaron Bowen, Coventry

Shiloh Defreitas, London

Mark Dickinson, Durham

Charles Frankham, Crowthorne

Eithan James, Northampton

Georgia O'Connor, Durham

Ivan Price, Leeds

Sadie Thomas, Hartlepool

Benjamin Vaughan, Northampton

Chloe Watson, Birkenhead

Judo

Holly Bentham, Beverley

Sian Bobrowska, Worcester

Leah Grosvenor, Stourport-on-Severs

Thomas Lish, Abbots Langley

Lachlan Moorhead, Pennistone

Harry Zain Prosser, Surbiton

Imogen Ranner, Foxton

Rugby 7s

Harry Barlow, Guildford

Connor Doherty, Sale

Thomas Fawcett, Henley-in-Arden

Lailand Gordon, Gwent

Fergus Guiry, Chichester

Cameron Kelemeti, York

Thomas Marshall, Blyth

Samuel Maunder, Cullompton

Jack Musk, Thames Ditton

Oliver Sleightholme, Northampton

JJ Tonks, Gloucester

Manu Vunipola, Bridgewater

Tennis

Peter Alam, Altringham

Indianna Spink, Welwyn Garden City

Beach Volleyball

Ellena Austin, Croyde

Joaquin Bello, Isleworth

Javier Bello, Isleworth

Yasmin Kaashoek, Devizes