Youth Commonwealth Games

Youth Commonwealth Games athletes learning from the best

A 34-strong New Zealand team will leave tomorrow for the competition.

Some of the athletes meet each other for the first time today, in their fresh uniforms you could tell they were feeling a mix of excitement with nervousness.

One of them sixteen year-old Pelea Fruean started boxing at the age of 12 when her big cousin Joseph Parker started teaching her.

Countdown in Samoa ahead of Youth Games

Up to 1000 athletes from 68 countries will visit Samoa next month to contest nine sports.

The Games Planning and Delivery Advisor, Moira Lassen, says the final venues are due to be signed off next week and the focus now is on ensuring everything else comes together smoothly for when the teams arrive.

"Making sure the venues are ready to go, all the supplies are here, sport equipment is here - accreditation is always a big piece because you're dealing with all that many human beings on the other end of all that accreditation."