Rotorua volleyballer Gillespie going to youth games

BIG HITTER: Tyran Gillespie (right) has been selected for the New Zealand team to take part in the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games. PHOTO/FILE

Rotorua's Tyran Gillespie and Tauranga's Ella Akkerman have been selected in the team of 34 Kiwis aged between 14 and 18 to represent New Zealand at the Bahamas 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games.

Western Heights High School student Tyran and Aquinas College student Ella are in the beach volleyball team of four athletes.

Following in the footsteps of New Zealand Olympians, including cyclist Sam Bewley and swimmers Corney Swanepoel and Corey Main who also competed at Commonwealth Youth Games, athletes from athletics, beach volleyball, boxing, cycling and swimming will gain their first Commonwealth-style games experience.

New Zealand Olympic Committee chief executive Kereyn Smith welcomed the young athletes to the team.

"We know how important this games will be in their future development as athletes."

The New Zealand Commonwealth Youth Games team will feature a number of New Zealand's talented youngsters, including distance runners Hannah O'Connor and Katrina Robinson and throwers Connor Bell and Nick Palmer.

Dylan Simpson from Palmerston North Boys' High School, who was a 2016 National U17 School Championships gold medallist, will be joined by cyclists Jenna Merrick and Abigail Morton from Baradene High School.

Swimming will be represented by 11 athletes aiming to emulate the success of the previous Commonwealth Youth Olympic Games (Samoa 2015) where they brought home eight of New Zealand's total of 20 medals. The swimming is headlined by Australian-based New Zealander Laticia Transom, who won two medals at the recent New Zealand Open Championships together with Lewis Clareburt who won six medals at the national age group championships.

The Commonwealth Youth Games Team will be rounded off with five athletes from boxing and four from beach volleyball.

The Bahamas Youth Commonwealth Games will host 1300 athletes from around the Commonwealth and take place from July 18 to 23.