The Scottish team for the Commonwealth Youth Games– to be announced on 21 August at University of Stirling – will comprise over 40 athletes from nine sports (athletics, badminton, boxing, shooting, swimming, table tennis, tennis, weightlifting and wrestling) together with a number of support staff.

The main purpose of the Commonwealth Youth Games is to give our up and coming young athletes a taste of international competition in a multi-sport Games environment. Having this experience should help them maximise their performance when they hopefully go on to qualify for the main Commonwealth Games in Delhi in 2010 and Glasgow 2014.

As part of its programme of support to Scotland’s Commonwealth Youth Games Team 2008, Clydesdale Bank is running an Athlete of the Month competition in conjunction with Commonwealth Games Scotland (CGS) and the nine participating governing bodies of sport.

Each month between April and August, Sport Team Managers are asked to nominate an athlete from their sport who has demonstrated good performances at competitions in the build up to Pune. A CGS judging panel will select a winner along with a second and third placed athlete . The athletes will be given an athlete award from Clydesdale Bank of £300, £200 and £100 respectively and the winner’s club will also receive £100.

In late October, following the Games, the judging panel will consider performances at the Games themselves to select a Clydesdale Bank Athlete of the Games and two runners-up. A further award of £500 and £250 respectively will be awarded with £100 going to the winners club.