Bermuda could have a relay swim team at a major Games for the first time in 20 years when the 2010 Commonwealth Games takes place next October in New Delhi, India.

Swim coach Ben Smith said Bermuda would be trying to build on the success of the past year and later this month the Island's top swimmers will be a part of a 30-strong group taking part in a 12-day training camp over Christmas.

Five swimmers competed last summer in Rome at the World Championships – three for the first time – and Smith said: "I think we could possibly have a relay team for the Games in India next year. That will be the first time we have had a relay team at a major Games since the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland, New Zealand."

Back then Bermuda sent six swimmers – Ian Raynor, Craig Morbey, Geri Mewett, Michael Cash, Alexandria Dowling and Jennifer Smatt.

Smith said he hoped Bermuda would be able to send between eight and 10 swimmers to New Delhi next year.

He said: "We hope to have the same team that went to the World Championships this summer and then we want to add Lisa Blackburn who has won medals at the Pan-Am Games and Commonwealth Games. Plus we hope to add some of our elite swimmers.

"That could add up to between eight and 10 swimmers. We are getting close to the point of having a relay team – that would be a great addition since we have not been able to put together a relay team for 20 years."

The five swimmers who went to the Worlds were veterans Kiera Aitken and Roy-Allan Burch along with teenagers Nick Thomson, Julian Fletcher and Rebecca Sharpe.

Lisa Blackburn competed at the highest level for Canada but is now eligible to represent Bermuda.

"Lisa was living and competing for Canada for a number of years but she has been based back in Bermuda for about a year and is training with us," said Smith. "She has now been cleared to participate and compete for Bermuda."

Although Blackburn – who specialises in the a breaststroke – is now in her 30s, Smith said: "She is still competing, it is great to have her back. She is also another person who is really good to have in the programme because she has been all the way to the highest level and she can help motivate everyone else."

Of the training camp later this month, Smith added: "It is going to last for 12 days and will involve about 30 swimmers. They are going to be swimming about 12,000 metres a day – the elite swimmers anyway. Then we will have a group below them who will be doing something different."

Smith said it will not be just swimming at the camp.

"We are bringing in a nutritionist to talk to the swimmers as well as a physiotherapist. We want to have different people come to talk and work with them. We plan on having some land-based stuff as well – things like weight training.

"Hopefully this big camp will help jump start our season and it is going to be good to have swimmers like Kiera (Aitken) there as well. Roy-Allan (Burch) is also coming back – he gets into Bermuda a couple of days before the camp.

"Lisa (Blackburn) will be there as will Nick (Thomson), Julian (Fletcher) and Rebecca (Sharpe). All our elite athletes will be there and it will be good for our younger kids to see them and watch them train because our elite athletes train at a completely different level than anyone else.

"Hopefully there will be some interaction between them. Last year during the camp Roy-Allan came back but while he didn't participate in the camp itself, he stopped by and gave the young swimmers a talk about what it was like to compete in the Olympics in Beijing.

"Just being around these senior swimmers is so important to the rest of the group."