THE best young netball players in the world will be welcomed to Glasgow with a famouse biscuit and a bottle of Scotland's 'other national drink'.

The welcome packs will be handed out to 240 of the world's best players.

They willl be greeted with more than 300 Caramel Wafers and bottles of Irn-Bru in special welcome packs when they arrive at the Emirates Arena ahead of the 2013 World Youth Netball Championships.

Scotland will be up against 19 other countries, arriving on 35 separate flights, including reigning champions Australia and netball giants New Zealand, England and South Africa.

It is the first world netball event to be staged in Scotland since 1987.

Kicking off tomorrow, the seventh World Youth Netball Championships promises to showcase some of the most talented under 21 players from across the globe.

Maggie Murray, CEO of Netball Scotland, said it was the dynamics and speed of the sport that pleased crowds.

She said: "The athletes that you see now would be comparable to any athlete in any other sport up at that top level. It's dynamic, it's exciting, it makes you share the ball, share the space, and, for us, it is the ultimate team game because only two people can shoot and therefore the rest of the team have to make it possible for them to do that."

Scotland placed a disappointing 17th in the last World Youths, in the Cook Islands in 2009, but this year they are hoping to make the top 12.

Stepping out for the ­Scottish side are Commonwealth Games hopefuls ­Lynsey Gallagher, Bev Campbell, Nicola McCleery and Shaunagh McCuaig.

They will be competing under the watchful eye of Glasgow 2014 selectors.

After the championships, in September, they will find out if they have made the cut of 20 athletes that will train together before the ­final selection of 12 is made next year.

Their faces have headed up the dramatic advertising campaign that has surrounded the build up to the 2013 championships and organisers are keen to ensure the event leaves a legacy for netball in Scotland.

Ms Murray said: "Our vision for the long-term future is to have netball as the first choice sport for every girl and woman in Scotland.

"It is about grabbing their attention about the sport to let them see what it can ­offer women in particular because it is a superior ­female sport.

"It is one of the few sports in the world which has the female gender as the dominant gender at elite level.

"Between the World Youth Championships and the Commonwealth Games, it is a big chance that is not going to come along again in any of our lifetimes and we have to take every opportunity that it gives us and bring the game into every household in Scotland."

Tickets for the 2013 WYNC start at £3 for children and £6 for adults.

For information, visit www.worldyouthnetball.com or tel. 0141 353 8000.

matty.sutton@eveningtimes.co.uk