Forty four of the UK's top elite young badminton players have been selected for the badminton competition which will take place at Gateshead International Stadium Sports Hall on Friday 3rd, Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th September. Badminton forms one of the ten sports being competed for at the Sainsbury's UK School Games.

The selected squads from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales feature a mixture of competitors who are returning to the UK School Games and those competing for the first time. Of those athletes who medalled in the men's and women's singles and doubles in 2009, only Welsh competitor Jordan Hart who won silver in girls is returning.

Anneli MacDonald, Senior Competition & Events Co-ordinator, Badminton England said of the selection.

"It is a tremendous achievement for these players to have been selected for this year's Sainsbury's UK School Games. Many of the players have spent the 2009-10 badminton season playing in the UK School Games Qualification Events Circuit with hopes of qualifying for this year's Games, and for them their selection is particularly rewarding.

"We also have several players who have been selected whose experience at past Games should hold them in good stead, including Caroline Black and Ruth Roddis from Northern Ireland who will be competing in their fourth Games.

"This year has also shown us just how talented the competitors at UK School Games are, with last year's Girls' Singles Gold Medalist Kirsty Gilmour making her senior international debut for Scotland in the European Women's Team Championships, and Sarah Milne (triple gold medalist from 2007) qualifying for the first ever Youth Olympics to be held in Singapore in August. More recently Sinead Chambers and Tony Stephenson from Northern Ireland were nominated for selection for the Commonwealth Games in India later this year.

This year's competition promises to be a closely fought one and there's every chance that the badminton stars of tomorrow will be at the Games. Good luck to everyone competing"

In the badminton competition there will be five titles up for grabs - boy's and girl's singles and doubles and mixed doubles. Play gets underway at 10.00am on Friday 3rd September.

To see the squads in full click here