Bermuda will send a 14 strong squad to next month's Commonwealth Games in India, an event that will mark the beginning of a hectic 18 months for the Island's athletes.

Hot on the heels of the event in New Dehli, will be the Pan Am Games in Mexico next October, followed by the Carifta Games which Bermuda will host in 2012, and the London Olympics in July of that same year.

Not soon after Bermuda will be hosting another high-profile event, the Island Games in 2013.

First though, the likes of Kiera Aitken, Roy-Allan Burch, and long-jumper Tyrone Smith, will lead their country at an event where podium finishes may not be out of the question.

Swimmers Aitken and Burch will be joined by promising youngster Nick Thomson in the pool, while sprinter Tre Houston will join Smith on the track. There will also be four tennis players — Gavin Manders, David Thomas, Tara Lambert and Jacklyn Lambert — present, while Nick Kyme will fly the flag for Bermuda's squash community.

CAC Games bronze medalist Ross Roberts will compete in the shooting, and will be joined by Sinclair Raynor, Carl Reid and Nelson Simons.

Of the squad, Smith is certainly his Island's best medal hope. His winning distance at the CAC Games in Puerto Rico earlier this year would have been enough to qualify him for the final of the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

Bermuda Track and Field Association (BTFA) president Donna Watson said next season's events calendar would be an important one for Bermuda's athletes who have posted some impressive performances over the past 12 months.

"This is going to be a very important season for us as we build towards Carifta 2012, which we will host, and of course London 2012," she said.

"For some of our senior athletes this was the first time they've had such a long season. I think they will be able to pace themselves much better next season and be ready to compete for Bermuda once the university campaign has been completed."

Watson said there would plenty of opportunities for junior athletes to shine next season as they build towards Carifta 2012. Bermuda won ten medals at this year's Carifta Games, which was held in the Dominican Republic.

"We're hoping to begin marketing Carifta 2012 as soon as possible and showcase our athletes as I'm hoping to have a big team competing for Bermuda," she said.

"We're beginning a drive to recruit athletes as we need to have performers in all events for us to be the force I would like us to be."