EIGHT junior athletes were handed $30,000 yesterday to further their training when the annual National Junior Athlete Sponsorship Programme presentation was staged at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess.

Normally Government awards six athletes a year but Sports Minister Randy Horton decided to boost the financial help for this year.

And he told the assembled athletes: "You have all made tremendous progress to get to this point. And it is important for you to stay focussed on what you are doing and not to let so many things get in your way - whether it be friends, or so-called friends - who will attempt to take you off of the road on which you are travelling. You must be focussed and make the sacrifice.

"You must set goals. It makes me feel good that we have young people in our midst who are setting goals for themselves.

"In order to meet those goals and in order to meet success you also have to have guts. You will never be a great athlete unless you have guts. You also must have confidence, courage and backbone."

Horton also paid tribute to the coaches and parents of the athletes.

Tony Roberts, director of Youth and Sports, said: "The financial assistance provided to these athletes is to support and provide opportunities to further develop, refine their skills and reach their full potential. We see them as the future elite athletes of Bermuda."

The athletes chosen for the financial assistance were:

Tennis player Ashley Brooks who received $5,000 for equipment and costs associated with her attendance at tournaments. Brooks, the number one female player in Bermuda, opened 2002 by winning an Under-14 Junior tournament in Tampa, Florida. She also represented Bermuda in the Fed Cup and later that year travelled to St. Vincent & the Grenadines and won the girls' Under-14 ITF Caribbean Development title.

Brooks, who is striving to become a professional, attends the internationally recognised Van Deer Meer Tennis Academy in Hilton Head, South Carolina.

Equestrian Daniella DeSilva who received $5,000 to assist with the welfare of her horse and also entry and coaching fees associated with her preparation for the North American Young Riders Championships. DeSilva is also planning to attend clinics in Canada with Canadian show jumping coach Mac Cone and she hopes to someday compete in the Olympics.

The 15-year-old DeSilva won numerous championship classes in local shows over the past season and also represented the island at the Caribbean Equestrian Showing Jumping Competition in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands.

Discus and shot put athlete Brittany Marshall was awarded $3,200 to help her attend overseas meets and for the purchase of special footware.

Marshall, who is the only athlete in this group to receive funds before, is both Bermuda's junior and senior champion in the shot put and discus and in 2002 she set a discus record at the Junior Central American and Caribbean Championships breaking a record which had stood for 23 years.

She was the defending shot put champion at the Carifta Games and was a silver medallist last yera in the discus and will be representing Bermuda again this year at Carifta.

Triathlete Geoffrey Smith received $3,800 to be used for the purchase of a new bike and also to attend a training camp as well as participation at an overseas meet.

Last year Smith won his age group in triathlons six times including the Shell Cup Triathlon.

At the end of the season he was named 2002 Junior Male Triathlete of the Year and despite qualifying to compete in the 2002 World Championships, he was denied entry because of his age.

Swimmer Trevor Johnstone was awarded $3,800 to attend the Jack Nelson Training Camp and also to help with travelling expences to overseas meets.

Johnstone is expected to compete in the World Championships and the next Commonwealth Games and Olympics.

At the Jack Nelson camp he will be video taped, analysed and coached to help his performances.

Cricket player Rodney Trott received $3,800 to be used to provide for his attendance at a cricket academy in Grenada or South Africa.

Trott has dominated the youth parish leagues for the last two years and last year he led the Under-15 team to an overwhelming success at the Americas Regional Tournament and also received the Player of the Tournament Award.

He is already playing senior cricket despite being only 15-years-old.

Footballer Thomas Watson was presented with $3,000 to help attend a football academy in Holland.

Watson was a star of Bermuda's Under-17 team in the World Cup qualifying tournament and is one of the island's most technically gifted players.

He was named the MVP of the William and Mary Camp and was also selected as the middle schools All-Star team captain in 2001.

After completing his education at CedarBridge, Watson hopes to gain a degree in computer science but also would like to play professionally.

Cyclist Timothy Fox was granted $2,400 to assist with his travel and accomodation at overseas events.

Fox has excelled on the cycle in Bermuda - both on the road and mountain biking.

By 2007 he hopes to be representing Bermuda at international events such as the Island Games, the Caribbean Championships, the Pan Am Games, the World 'B' Championships as well as the Commonwealth Games.