Bermuda's top young athletes.

Nick Kyme, Nuri Latham, Catrina Adcock, Tara Lambert, Maria Darby and Tariq Hewey were joined by coaches, parents and other young athletes in a luncheon put on by the Ministry at the Hamilton Princess.

The annual junior athletic achievement awards are given out to help assist in travel and training costs for the Island's most promising youngsters.

Hewey, an 18-year-old sprinter, and Darby, a 10-year-old gymnast, scored the biggest, each earning a $4,500 grant.

Darby, who trains more than 20 hours a week with the Bermuda Gymnastics Association, will attend US Elite Coaches Association camps as well as meets overseas.

For Hewey, the money will go towards competing in at last six overseas meets, involving a combination of individual and relay events.

Both he and Darby are hoping to qualify for the CAC Games and the Commonwealth Games.

Adcock, who has excelled in equestrian both locally and abroad for the past five years, earned $4,000. She intends to pursue a coaching qualification as well as compete at the Grand Prix level.

Lambert and Kyme each received $2,500.

Lambert, 16, is currently training with Bermuda's Federation Cup tennis squad and has already been accepted into the International Tennis Academy in Florida this summer.

Squash player Kyme is benefiting from the awards programme for a fourth time and it's paid dividends; at 17 he's already Bermuda's top player and last year represented the Island in the Junior Caribbean Championships, North Caribbean Championships, Scottish Open and US Open.

Latham earned $2,000 to attend the Davis Phinney Cycling Camp in Colorado but he's also a top competitor in swimming, soccer and triathlon. He was Bermuda's road race champion in the Junior II category and set a junior record in the Princess Hill Climb last year.

HELPING HAND -- Youth and Sports Minister Tim Smith (back row) yesterday presented $20,000 worth of Government assistance to (from left) Eugene Botelho (BSRA president on behalf of Nick Kyme), Catrina Adcock, Tariq Hewey, Maria Darby, Tara Lambert and Nuri Latham.