FIFTEEN athletes led by 2006 Commonwealth Games veterans Arantxa King and LaTroya Darrell will compete for Bermuda at the CARIFTA Games next month in Guadeloupe.

Both King, who is based in the United States, and Darrell have been competing in Melbourne, Australia at the Commonwealth Games and are part of a four-person group in the Under-20 division for the CARIFTA Games which run from April 14-16.

Bermuda Track and Field Association spokesman Stan Williams said this week: "I know many of the younger athletes in Bermuda look up to people like Arantxa and LaTroya. They are an inspiration to them and hopefully they will continue to be."

Although Bermuda only have 15 athletes going to Guadeloupe, Williams said: "We are hoping great things from them. They are all worthy of representing Bermuda very well. You always want to send your best people ? we are not just sending anyone and I believe we will come home with some medals."

One athlete which Williams has high hopes for is middle distance runner Matthew Spring in the Under 17 Boys division.

"Matthew is up and coming. It wouldn't surprise me at all if he brought home a medal or two. If he keeps going the way he is going he will be world class. Right now he is running some superb times and we are looking for some great things from him."

Spring will compete in the 800 metres, 1500 metres and 3000 metres.

In the Under 17 Girls division Williams said he will be looking to the likes of Kristin Heyliger "who is jumping very well right now in the high jump". Heyliger will also compete in the triple jump as will Kijaun Wilkinson in the Under 20 division. "Kijaun won a silver medal in the high jump when CARIFTA was held in Bermuda two years ago. We also have Taijuan Talbot who won the gold in the 1500 metres in the Under 17 Boys two years ago here. Now he is in the senior division and we hope those athletes take a leadership role for our younger ones."

One of those younger athletes is Eulannae Douglas in the Under 17 Girls division who will run in the 100 metres and 200 metres. Although Douglas is young, she experienced competition at the World Youth Championships in Morocco last summer when she ran a personal best. "She was the youngest athlete in Morocco," added Williams.

The BTFA official also pointed out that athletes, even if they had qualified for CARIFTA in December, had to still train with the national squad in order to be picked unless they were away in school. "Because you make the standard that is not the sole criteria of how you get picked ? you have to continue training with the national team," he said.

And he said that there are a number of coaches from US colleges who always come to the CARIFTA Games looking for student-athletes. "It is a great chance for some of our young athletes to get scholarships ? these coaches follow the progress of athletes from a very young age," he said.

For a number of the Bermuda athletes it will be the first time competing at CARIFTA. "But they have had overseas experience before as many have gone away with their various track clubs to meets in the US," said Williams adding that parental interest is very important for the athletes.

"I have found that parents have a big role in this as well. Those kids who parents are behind them 150 percent often do the best ? you will find that those kids will stay in track the longest."