The pilot project, which was announced last month, features six sports: badminton, netball, swimming, table tennis, track and field, and wushu.

Selection trials for badminton and wushu were conducted last year. About 100 were picked for the JSAs.

Try-outs for the remaining four sports were held last Saturday at the Singapore Sports School, drawing about 300 hopeful student-athletes.

Of these, 217 were selected. Each of the six academies will train between 40 and 60 pupils.

An MOE spokesman revealed yesterday that about 20 experienced coaches have been lined up to helm the JSAs. Most of them are existing coaches at the Sports School.

They include Ke Yuanxin, the Chinese coach who groomed Singapore's former table tennis star Jing Junhong.

Ke used to coach at the Ju Lu Lu Primary School in Shanghai. It was renowned for producing table tennis prodigies in China.

In swimming, the young trainees will be able to count on the expertise of Fang Haijiao, who coached Chinese swimmers for the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

The JSAs will be housed at the Sports School (netball, swimming, table tennis, and track and field), Chung Cheng High (Main) (wushu), Henry Park Primary (badminton), and the Singapore Table Tennis Association's facilities in Toa Payoh.

Pupils attending the academies will train twice a week, with each session lasting about two hours.

They will undergo training for two years (Primary 5 and 6) before leaving the programme.