Six of Bermuda's most promising young sportsmen and women have been given Government cash backing in their bid to fulfill their potential.

The six recipients of the awards, handed out at a lunch at the Hamilton Princess yesterday, are golfer Michael Sims, swimmer Kiera Aitkin, horse rider Nicholas DeCosta, sailor Alexander Kirkland, tennis player Jovan Jordan-Whitter and track and field's Gabriel Wilkinson.

The awards total $20,000 and range individually from $2,000 to $3,750.

The youngest awardee at just 13, Jordan-Whitter's cash -- $3,750 -- will help further his development when he attends the International Tennis Federation Curacao Training Camp and the ITA Tennis Academy in Florida.

The Warwick Academy student is ranked number one on the Island in the 14 and under age group and two in the under-18 category. He has a number of championship wins to his credit both at home and abroad, including the Cromwell Manders Junior Open and the New England Tennis Association Open.

In October last year he represented Bermuda in the 14 and under Caribbean Development Championships in Antigua, placing seventh.

Sailor Kirkland was given a grant of $3,000 as he works towards his ambition of competing in the 2004 Olympic Games.

The Saltus student has excelled here and overseas in the Optimist Dinghy and hopes to transfer to the single person Byte and Laser Radial this year. The cash will help him to attend a Byte world team clinic and the World Championships in Canada.

Swimmer Aitkin was awarded $3,750 to attend the Somax Advanced Swim Camp in Florida where her preparation will be taken to a new level with analysis of her movements which should significantly improve the efficiency of her stroke.

Also a student at Saltus, she has swum competitively for seven years, breaking three records in the InterSchool swimming meet in October, 1998. At the Winter Age Group Championships she set five national records in the 200 backstroke and 50, 100, 400 and 800 freestyle.

Golfer Michael Sims was given $3,750 to help with the cost of travel, accommodation and entry fees for a number of amateur tournaments. Sims, who completed his schooling in Florida after five years at Saltus, won the Bermuda Amateur Strokeplay Championship at Port Royal last year.

At the University of Rhode Island, where he is pursuing a degree in business, he helped his team win the Yale Fall Intercollegiate Tournament and was named Rookie of the Year.

Equestrian Nicholas DeCosta was awarded $2,000 to assist with his attendance at local and overseas clinics and competitions.

The Bermuda College student, despite being the youngest entrant at 17, placed second overall in the Caribbean Area FEI International Dressage Competition last year.

Gabriel Wilkisnon, a 16-year-old student at Berkeley Institute, was awarded $3,750 for his attendance at an overseas athletic camp, for continued weight training and for the purchase of specialist equipment.

Nominated by the BTFA, he excelled in shot and discus and is now concentrating on the former. He has been a member of the Bermuda Pacers Track Club since he was 13 and represented them in the shot in 1996, 1997 and 1998. He represented Bermuda in the event at the Carifta Games in both 1997 and 1998, narrowly missing a medal last year.

Six pack: Recipients of Government's youth sports grants were presented with cheques by Sports Minister Dennis Lister (centre) at the Hamilton Princess yesterday. Pictured (from left) are: Gabriel Wilkinson, Alexander Kirkland, Carol Sims (mother of Michael Sims), Kiera Aitkin, Dennis Lister, Jovan Jordan-Whitter and Nicholas DeCosta.

SPORTS SP