It was a busy start to the October break at Glasgow Airport yesterday as the young sports stars of tomorrow embarked on the trip of a lifetime.

The 44 athletes will fly the flag for Scotland next week in Pune, India, where, for the first time, all 71 Commonwealth countries will participate in the Youth Games which start tomorrow.

It is hoped that many of the athletes who compete and win medals will go on to compete for Scotland at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi 2010 and Glasgow in 2014.

Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon was at the airport to see the team off and to wish them luck, accompanied by Commonwealth Games Scotland chief executive Jon Doig.

Mr Doig said: "I am confident that we have selected an outstanding team to compete in Pune and it is fantastic to see the length and breadth of Scotland represented from Troon to Aberdeen to the Isle of Islay.

"Whilst winning medals is important, the major benefit of the Commonwealth Youth Games is exposing young athletes to this level of competition in a multi-sport environment.

"It is the ideal preparation event for future senior Commonwealth Games and I am sure their experience at these Youth Games will inspire many of them to go on to compete successfully in Delhi in 2010 and particularly Glasgow in 2014."

Sports Minister Stewart Maxwell said the Commonwealth Youth Games in India will be a "pathway to success" for Scotland's sporting stars of the future.

He said the young athletes had demonstrated "outstanding effort and dedication in pursuit of personal excellence" to get selected.

In the blue corner...

Athletics (10)
Lisa Glover, Glenrothes; Caitlyn Mackie, Airth; Eilish McColgan, Carnoustie; Myra Perkins, Falkirk; Beth Potter, Bearsden; Lynsey Sharp, Edinburgh; Daniel Carlin, Barrhead; Chris O'Hare, West Linton; Calum Innes, Bearsden; Callum Sharp, Bishopbriggs.

Badminton (4)
Martin Campbell, Edinburgh; Angus Gilmour, Troon; Craig Pollock, Longniddry; Paul Van Rietvelde, Longniddry.

Boxing (6)
Sean Finney, Kirkcaldy; Steven McAllister, Aberdeen; Robert McKee, Fauldhouse; Jonathan Slowey, Glasgow; Ryan Smith, Glasgow; Josh Taylor, Prestonpans.

Shooting (5)
Kay Copland, Banff; Catriona McGregor, Aberdeen; Jennifer McIntosh, Falkirk; Rory McAlpine, Lasswade Midlothian; Ben Wilson, Islay.

Swimming (10)
Lucy Ellis, Dalgety Bay; Sara Hamilton, Stonehaven; Megan Gilchrist, Bathgate; Robyn Mathews, Edinburgh; Sally Wood, Edinburgh; Ewan Johnstone, Edinburgh; Andrew Haslett, Edinburgh; Iain Scanlon, Shotts; Daniel Scott, Glenrothes; Douglas Scott, Strathaven.

Table Tennis (2)
Craig Howieson, Edinburgh; Craig Hardie, Glasgow.

Weightlifting (3)
Amy Hamilton, Glasgow; James Burley, Kilwinning; Dylan Scott, Kilwinning.

Wrestling (4)
Gareth Jones, Old Kilpatrick; Keiran Malone, Cumbernauld; Craig McKenna, Clydebank; Connor Evans, Denny.