Team England U19 badminton player Rhys Walker has been named amongst a 13- strong shortlist of brightest prospects in British sport in the running to be crowned SportsAid’s ‘One-to-Watch’ for 2011.

Walker, who is triple national champion at U17 level and a Commonwealth Youth Games bronze medallist, has impressed the panel of experts to be hand selected from within the 2,000 British athletes supported by SportsAid this year.

The 17 year old from Nuneaton is currently representing Center Parcs- supported Team England at the World Junior Badminton Championships out in Chinese Taipei but was told of his inclusion on the shortlist before he departed for the Far East.

Of his place, a delighted Walker said “Being shortlisted for this award is a tremendous honour both for me and for my sport of badminton.

It is a fantastic feeling as all of the SportsAid athletes train extremely hard – so to be recognised for my achievements is terrific news and very special."

The award, which boasts diver Tom Daley and sprinter Jodie Williams amongst its previous winners list, is judged by representatives from the British Olympic Association, UK Sport, BBC Sport, Sport England and EIS.

The winner of SportsAid’s One-to-Watch Award 2011 will be announced on November 16 at the charity’s annual SportsBall in London.

SportsAid’s Awards Manager Emmanuel Blanchard said: “If you want to see the next big thing in British sport, this is the shortlist to watch.

Previous nominees and winners have gone on to achieve great things in sport and we hope to see some or all of them competing at an Olympic or Paralympic Games one day.”

Good luck Rhys.