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However, despite nine sports being offered for the event in Pune, Jersey will only be represented in three at most - athletics, swimming, and tennis.
The other sports on offer include badminton, boxing, shooting, and table tennis but secretary of the Commonwealth Games Association of Jersey, Alan Cross says there has been no interest to send competitors in these sports.
'It's disappointing that they can't go. We've been allocated 12 places and have already gone through the process of approaching the sports to see who would have people to go and only three have declared their interest to put forward names.'
And with the games being four-yearly and this year's competition strictly limited to those those born on or after 1 January 1990, some of the Island's top youngsters will miss out on the chance to compete.
The likes of Jamie Stevenson (athletics), Mariana Agathangelou (badminton), Francesca Dubras (tennis) and Katie Speller (swimming), as well as others, who were too young to go back in 2004 are now too old to go in 2008.
Two years
'The decision of the Commonwealth Games Federation is that the Youth Games are every four years so that they tie in with the Commonwealth Games but personally I think it's a shame and would prefer it to be every two years,' added Cross.
A validation group which will be responsible for selecting the team has now been set up, similar to that which selects a team for the Commonwealth Games.
'The five members of the validation group will now consider the qualifying standards submitted by the sports - I'll be meeting with Hugh Raymond (CILTA officer) as tennis is a bit more difficult to set standards in than athletics or swimming,' added Cross.
The last Commonwealth Games was in Bendigo of Australia in 2004 and Jersey experienced great success with swimmer Daniel Halksworth's gold and silver medal in the pool, and Lauren Thérin's bronze medals in discus and javelin contributing to the Island finishing tenth overall.
In Bendigo, Jersey were allocated eight spots but this has been boosted to 12 for India thanks to the large team the Island sent to the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in 2006.
This means the Island will send two more competitors than both Guernsey and the Isle of Man, who incidentally, are set to host the event in 2011 when the Games are brought forward to avoid a clash with the Olympics.
Pune will host only the third Commonwealth Youth Games, after Bendigo in 2004 and Edinburgh in 2000, and it is expected to be the biggest yet with all 71 Commonwealth Games Associations currently taking part, compared to the 23 of three years ago.
Looking ahead to the Games, Cross said: 'I've seen the Pune facilities on video and listened to presentations and it will be good.
'It's probably going to be an extravagant and glitzy event with big opening and closing ceremonies which is not quite what the Commonwealth Games Federation see as the future of the Games.
'I think if we come away with a small haul of medals like we did in 2004, we shall be extremely fortunate as the games are growing so much with around 1200 competitors.'
The Games will run from 12-18 October and will be held in the Shri Shiv Chhatrapati Sports City, a 153 acre complex which incorporates all the sports events and the athletes' village.
All nine disciplines on offer at the Games are: athletics, badminton, boxing, shooting, swimming, table tennis, tennis, weightlifting and wrestling.
The CGAJ are currently looking for a Team Jersey sponsor for the event.
Published 17/11/07
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