MEDWAY & Maidstone athlete Martin Brockman has been chosen to represent England at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India, later in the year.

He was told of his selection last Thursday, although the news was embargoed until Tuesday of this week.

The 22-year-old left it until the last minute to hit the qualification mark. He needed to gain the decathlon qualifying standard of 7,300 points when he contested the North West Combined Events Open in Manchester a few days earlier.

With two disciplines remaining he knew he'd have to register PB's in both to have a chance of bettering the 7429 total of Edward Dunford (Birchfield Harriers) who at the time was the third-ranked decathlete in England.

Brockman threw the javelin 50.08 metres (previous best: 48.99) and then ran the 1500 in 4:26.90 (4:29.13) for a magnificent total of 7433. That was also a personal best and it earned him a plane ticket to India.

Other Kent athletes to get the call were Ashford's Lisa Dobriskey (women's 1500), Tom Bosworth (Tonbridge), who will do the 20km race walk, and Dartford's Grace Clements. She will be contesting the women's heptathlon.