Aug 07 - Gibraltar Youngsters To Take Part In Commonwealth Youth Games
In just under a month's time Gibraltar is to be represented by five young athletes at the Commonwealth Youth Games in Samoa.
The games are now in their 5th edition with Gibraltar having competed in the last 2, in Pune, India in 2008 and in The Isle of Man last time out in 2011.
The Commonwealth Youth Games are for many, a formative first taste of international multi-sport competition, however some of Gibraltar’s squad have actually competed at senior Commonwealth and the Island Games already.
Gibraltar's team that has been announced sees Athletes Jessie Franco and Laura Bevington, swimmers David Hitchcock, Matt Savitz and Christina Linares, and Squash player Thomas DaSilva.
Accompanying the five will be coaches Joe Santos, Mike DaSilva and Roy Torres, while Team Gibraltar will be led by the Gibraltar Commonwealth Games Association General Secretary Joe Schembri .
Joe will already be on the other side of world having attend along with the association’s President Harry Murphy the Commonwealth Games Federation General Assembly.
The party will be leaving for the remote Pacific Island of Samoa via London and Los Angeles on the 31st August.
The Team will be meeting up with athletes from the 71 countries and territories of the Commonwealth and competing over a period of five days with the Opening Ceremony on the 5th September and closing on the 11th September. Christina Linares will be Gibraltar's Flag Bearer at the Games.
The action takes place across two sporting complexes that will play host to Aquatics (Swimming), Archery, Athletics, Boxing, Lawn Bowls, Rugby Sevens, Squash, Tennis and Weightlifting and like the Commonwealth Games, all competitors and officials stay in an athletes’ village-style accommodation and events comply with the relevant International Federation’s technical rules and regulations, including World anti-doping standards.
Off the field of play, the Youth Games nurtures new sporting global citizens by focusing on friendship, integrity and cross-Commonwealth inter-cultural exchange.
The host nation, Samoa, which means Sacred (Sa’) Centre (Moa) of the Universe, is a small, tropical island nation in the Central Pacific with a young population of c187,000, over half of whom are 25 and under.
Launched in 2000 and now in its 5th edition, the Youth Games are a sustainable opportunity for smaller cities and nations to benefit from hosting a major sporting event, using predominantly pre-existing venues (in Samoa’s case constructed for the 2007 Pacific Games) whilst also promoting an inclusive and positive youth agenda.
With 50% of Commonwealth citizens aged 25 and under, the Youth Games play a vital part in the Commonwealth Games Federation’s vision to inspire Commonwealth athletes to drive the ambition and power of all Commonwealth citizens through sport.
Gibraltar’s young athletes will be living a wonderful experience competing against the best youngsters in the Commonwealth and sharing a totally new culture in the Island of Samoa.
With the recent experience of the Island Games, the young athletes should now be relaxed and confident of their ability and be able to perform at their highest standards.
Their Performances in Samoa should be the first stepping- stone towards competing in the next edition of the Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia in 2018.
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