A DUNBLANE teenager has been selected to be part of the fencing squad at the 2017 School Games National Finals. 

Alex Papadopoulos, a student at the high school, is a member of the local fencing club and will compete for Scotland in the sport. 

The 16-year-old has has an impressive record, having previously made the top 32 at Challenge Wratislava Fencing Tournament.

The School Games are an integrated multi-sport event for the UK’s most talented school-age athletes and will take place at Loughborough University from Thursday, August 31 to Sunday, September 3. 

Papadopoulos said: "Watching the Commonwealth Games at Glasgow in 2014 was really inspiring for me because it was so close to home it seems like it would be an achievable goal for me one day."

Chief executive of the Youth Sport Trust Ali Oliver said this was a huge opportunity for the young talent to impress and get the experience of a lifetime. 

"The School Games National Finals provide a great opportunity for talented young athletes like Alex," he said.

"Competitors get a real taste of what it’s like to be part of a world-class sporting event at the amazing sporting venues of Loughborough University, and the event is a great way to see our future sporting champions in action today."

Tickets for the event are available at https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/2017schoolgames.