Eight players have been named to the Yukon's Arctic Winter Games table tennis team.

Colby Knowler and Addison Lacasse will play in the junior boys' category while Mellisa Kwok and Jodi Gustafson will compete in junior girls'. David Dugas and Ryan Bachli will represent the territory in juvenile boy's play with Zara Bachli and Karlie Knight taking on the juvenile girls.

Table tennis has only been back in the Games since 2002, after being taken out in 1998 and 2000. The sport was also out of the Games from 1982 until 1994, mainly due to lack of teams and interest.

The Yukon last sent a team in 1996, but has traditionally done well in table tennis, winning a bunch of medals each year the territory participated. This year, the players are all fairly young and inexperienced.

'This is the first competition outside for all of them,' said coach Kevin Murphy in an interview Wednesday. 'It's going to be one heck of a learning curve.'

The table tennis competition features a team event, singles, doubles and mixed doubles action. Murphy, who has been to the AWG a few times before, expects strong competition from Russia, Greenland and Alaska.

'Based on my last experience in 1996, if Russia brings some top-ranked kids they'll be the strongest,' he said. 'If not, Greenland was always great. And after them, Alaska. I have no idea what Alberta's team is like, or Nunavut as well.'

Murphy said the schedule for the Games certainly doesn't make it easier for the Yukoners either. They play five out of the seven days at the Games.

'There are only three tables in the school gym we play on,' he stated. 'So on some days, matches are going from nine in the morning until nine at night. Some of us may get some time off in-between. (But) there's no supper breaks and only two lunch breaks most days.

'These kids are going to be living off boxed lunches and suppers.'

Murphy said the players are going to need to drink lots of water and pace themselves so they don't feel like they're playing long days. He's also grateful to have team manger Edna Knight traveling to the Games.

'Edna's got a lot of experience playing and coaching as well, so although she's technically going as a manager, if I'm unable to cover a match or need help, Edna's going to be able to cover that.'

Player Karlie Knight is also grateful her mother will be there, since Edna got her into the game in the first place.

'My mom was in a bunch of Arctic Winter Games and stuff,' said Karlie, who's been playing the game for about a year and a half. 'It runs in the family.'

Cousin Colby Knowler, who is the top-ranked Yukon player, also decided to try table tennis because of Edna. Knowler plays several sports but likes table tennis because it's 'quicker.'

Knowler said his goal for the Games is to finish in the top five while Karlie 'would like to win at least a medal,' or improve her skills. The coach's goals are a little more modest, due to the experience level of his team.

'If they can hit one shot that they haven't been able to do in Whitehorse, and hit it two or three times, I think that's a great improvement,' said Murphy. 'I think sometimes they don't realize the potential they have until they see other kids their own age a step ahead. Sometime it takes seeing that.

'You want to try it because if they can do it, you can do it, too.'

Murphy said the team's best chance for grabbing a medal is probably in the team event. In that category, the total number of games won by each player is added up and whoever has the most is the team champion. Some of the other places don't have full teams.

'Four full teams will be going after three team medals,' he said. 'So that's probably our best shot.

'Juveniles is probably our biggest chance for individual medals. But it would take a sparkling performance to achieve that.'

Murphy said the most important thing for the Yukon team is just getting the Outside experience, which could set them up for a competition in front of their home crowd a few years down the road.

'These kids are at the right age where if they stick with it, they could be the core of the 2007 Canada Winter Games team.'