England Team Selected for World Junior Championships

After leading England to success in the European Junior U19 Team Championship in Belgium in April, Victoria Lust has been selected for the national squad in the Women's World Junior Championships in Hong Kong in August.

The 18-year-old from Maulden in Bedfordshire will be joined in the England squad by European championship team-mate Victoria Bell, the 17-year-old from Carlisle in Cumbria who will also be competing in the world individual championship for the second time.

The remaining two places in the England squad have been awarded to 15-year-old Kimberley Hay, from Gosforth in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, and 17-year-old Sarah-Jane Perry, from Kenilworth in Warwickshire. All four players will be making their world team championship debuts.

England will be hoping to reclaim the title they last won in 2001, for the fifth time. The national side finished in third place both in 2003 and 2005, with the 2005 champions Hong Kong looking to defend their title in August on home soil.

"We are looking forward to competing in what will be a demanding environment," said England Team Manager Annette Pilling. "We have a young team all making their debut in this World Championships and we are focused and ready for the challenge."

Victoria Lust is the reigning British National Junior (U19) champion, following earlier title successes in the British U13 and U17 National championships. Victoria Bell is the holder of the British U17 crown, who claimed the Irish Junior Open title in December.

Kimberley Hay, a former British U13 and U15 champion, led England to success in the European Junior U17 championships in May, and was a surprise semi-finalist in the European U19 championships.

Sarah-Jane Perry made a notable breakthrough in the U19 age-group in February when she reached the British Junior Championship final against the odds - only four months after finishing as runner-up in the British U17 Championship.