ATHERTON’S Grace Rowland admits she will be on a mission to put water polo on the map after being selected to represent Great Britain at the inaugural European Games in Baku.

Rowland has long been a fan of the sport, having first started off swimming aged four before progressing on to water polo three years later.

The 16-year-old former Tyldesley Water Polo Club member has been steadily working her way up the age ranges ever since, and now finds herself in the Great Britain Under-17s squad.

Back in March, the team qualified for this summer’s European Games after finishing in the top two in their group at the qualifiers in Nice, France.

And Rowland will have to get ready to pack her bags once again after Leigh Journal last week revealed she had been named among the 153-strong Great Britain team for the first ever European Games in Azerbaijan, which will take place from June 12-28.

“I had to check on the British website to see if I was on the team, so I raced to my laptop at seven in the morning to check,” said Rowland, whose former Tyldesley Water Polo Club team-mate Hayley Price has also been picked.

“It’s insane, absolutely incredible, that I got selected. I’m so excited about it, and I’m counting down the days until I go.

“It will be the biggest competition of my career. You have the Olympics, World and European Championships and then this is right up there.

“It’s going to be really exciting to get the kit, and that’s something I can keep forever and that will remind of what I achieved.

“We are just going to work hard and try our best. Hopefully it can be an opportunity to show that water polo is a great sport and should be taken more seriously in Great Britain.”

Baku 2015 will represent a unique taste of multi-sport action for the water polo players who will be part of Team GB for the first time.

Rowland herself has competed for Great Britain for the last three years and she admits a long-term career in the sport is what she is aiming for.

“I started playing when I was seven. It can be quite a vicious sport but I find it helps me became a more responsible person and gives me focus,” she added.

“I’d love to one day go and play the game abroad. It’s a great sport to play and I’ve made some great friends through it and had the opportunity to travel and play in other countries.

“I can’t wait to add the European Games to my list of achievements, it’s quite special that we are a part of the first ever one.”

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