Three athletes leave for Isle of Man

Not content with only taking on New Caledonia, the Cook Islands is sending off competitors to try to conquer the Isle of Man.

Three young athletes yesterday began their journey to the small Irish sea state in the centre of the British Isles to compete in the 2011 Commonwealth Youth Games.

Swimmers Celeste Brown and Tepaia Payne and shot putter Jolyn Iro will represent the Cook Islands under the watchful eye of chef de mission George Hosking at the youth event, which is being held from September 7 to 13.

Eighteen-year-old Payne, who is currently living with his family in Brunei, will compete in the 50 metre butterfly and the 50, 100 and 200 metre freestyle events.

Sydney-based 17-year-old Brown will compete in the 50 and 100 metre freestyle and Cook Islands-based Iro (16) will focus her athletic ability solely on shot put.

Iro and Hosking left the Cook Islands yesterday morning. They will meet the other competitors along the way, along with one athletes father who is paying his own way to the competition.

Hosking said the Commonwealth Youth Games would provide the three competitors with valuable experience at a games level, albeit on a slightly smaller scale than they would find in the Commonwealth or Olympic Games.

About 72 countries are competing in seven different sports.

Samoa will be the next country to host the Commonwealth Youth Games in four years time.

Hosking said he expected it to include more sports with a Pacific edge to them.

The host nation decides on the sports, so Id expect Samoa to pick the same 27 sports that they had at the Pacific Games all the venues are still there, he said. Hosking said he wanted coaches and parents to start preparing their teenagers for the Samoa Games the Pacific location may just provide the Cook Islands with an edge on their Commonwealth competitors.