British Athletics performance director Neil Black has challenged his horde of young athletes to make names for themselves at the European Indoor Championships. A host of Great Britain's rising track stars, who make up the majority of a largely inexperienced team, carry medal hopes into the event, which gets under way at Prague's O2 Arena on Friday. Britain's 60 metres challenge is spearheaded by 21-year-old Chijindu Ujah on the men's side and 19-year-old Dina Asher-Smith on the women's, while the likes of Seren Bundy-Davies, 20, goes into her first major championships as European number one over 400m. Great Britain's 60 metres challenge is spearheaded by 21-year-old Chijindu Ujah in Prague . Katarina Johnson-Thompson is the most high-profile athlete in the team aged just 22-years-old . Katarina Johnson-Thompson, the most high-profile athlete in the team, is only 22 and, fired up by last year's injury frustrations, chasing her first major title in the pentathlon. Thirty-one of the 37 strong team are 25 or under and, in the absence of big names like Mo Farah, Greg Rutherford or James Dasaolu, Black is keen to see them handle the weight of expectation. 'We want to see people who cope with the circumstances, apply themselves well, perform well and out of that come medals, great performances, finalists and personal bests,' he said. 'We are really optimistic we can perform well. Seren Bundy Davies, Lawrence Clarke, Neil Black and Chijindu Ujah at a Prague 2015 press conference . 'For those for whom this is a critical competition to get the experience to demonstrate their progression, it's the biggest thing they've ever done. 'There's a real buzz within the team. It's great to have that combination of young people joining and feeling really good about it.' Sprint hurdler and team captain Lawrence Clarke, who finished fourth at London 2012 and one the most experienced members of the squad at 24, backed his young compatriots to thrive on the big stage. Team captain Clarke has backed his young compatriots to thrive on the big stage in Prague . 'These guys here are putting pressure on everyone else around them,,' the Old Etonian said. 'They know everyone whose there is going to be thinking, 'What are these guys capable of?' They are European leaders, they are some of the best in the world, give them the opportunity.' Britain won 23 medals, including 12 golds, at last summer's European Championships outdoors, their best ever return. Black admitted it was important to keep the momentum going, with the World Championships in Beijing coming up this summer and the Rio OIympics the following year. But he refused to be drawn on whether his team could eclipse their best haul from a European Indoors, 10 medals and four golds from Birmingham in 2007. Clarke and Black attend Great Britain & Northern Ireland press conference ahead of the 2015  Championships . 'It would be pretty weird if we weren't here seriously competing with a view to doing well,' he said. 'We expect to perform well and I think it is important because we all thrive on doing well. We all enjoy it, feel more confident and generally seem to perform better from doing well, so I think it's important to keep that going. 'But I am not relating it to the past. I want to think more about here and now, and the future. I am interested about what these guys do and what they will go on and do in the future.'
Great Britain are taking a horde of rising track stars to compete in Prague . British Athletics performance director Neil Black has high hopes for them . Big name competitors Mo Farah and Greg Rutherford are missing . The Championships get underway at Prague's 02 Arena on Friday .