Glasgow taekwondo player chosen as Team GB mini mascot for Olympics in Paris

A young taekwondo player from Glasgow has been selected as part of Team GB’s first ever group of mini mascots.

Six lucky youngsters from across the UK, including Josh Davidson, nine, from Glasgow will be flying the flag for Team GB at the Paris Olympics in the summer.

The British Olympic Association (BOA) received over 20,000 video entries sent in by parents and guardians who applied for their their child to be selected as a mini mascot.

Any child between the age of five and eleven was eligible to entire with shortlisted candidates judged by the BOA after being asked why they would love to take part.

Josh, the only mascot from Scotland, was selected after his video entry impressed judges and he will support Team GB athletes in the build up to the Paris games.

The children will be involved in fan zones, attending the kitting out ceremony in Birmingham when the athletes pick up their coveted Olympic gear.

The nine-year-old may be dreaming of a trip to the French capital but has a taekwondo tournament at the weekend to contend with first.

He told STV News: “Hi, I’m Josh. I’m nine years old and I’m one of Team GB Mini Mascots.

“It feels really good being a mascot because like, it is once in a lifetime, like, I’m the only one from Scotland that is doing it and, like, not many people get to do it.”

Josh’s parents, Angela and Mark, said: “We’re really proud.

“He works really hard and he is really into his sport, particularly taekwondo.

“So, to see him given an opportunity where he’s able to meet and and speak to some top class athletes, is yeah, we’re really proud, really happy.”

Dora McHardy, aged eight from Surrey, Alice Wu, aged eight from Leeds, Amelia Cropera, aged 11 from Belfast, Elliott Lefley, aged 11 from Devon and Santino Perrin, age nine from Burry Port have also been selected as mascots.

Carly Hodgson, Team GB head of marketing said: “We’re so excited to announce the first ever mini mascots and welcome Josh, Dora, Alice, Amelia, Elliott, and Santino to Team GB for the first time.

“The passion from the six finalists came through really clearly in their entry videos and it was brilliant to see this come to life when meeting them in person.

“They will be an asset in rallying their communities to support Team GB in the run up to Paris, in a role that we know will be hugely exciting and inspiring for both them and our athletes.

“We’re especially happy that the children who made it through the application process represent each of the nations which make up Team GB – England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.”

Mallory Franklin, Olympic silver medallist in the canoe slalom met the mini mascots and participated in a photo shoot.

She said: “I thoroughly enjoyed meeting the mini mascots and found it incredibly inspiring to see the next generation are so excited to cheer us on from the sidelines.

“It is a really important initiative to not only get kids involved in sport, but also to give athletes like myself even more motivation to succeed this year.

“I may be biased, but the Olympics is incredibly fun and I am excited for them Josh, Dora, Alice, Amelia, Elliott, and Santino to experience this in a never-seen-before way.”

The Paris Olympics take place from July 26 until August 11 with the games spread out across 16 other cities in France.