The SNP government was accused of being small minded yesterday after repeating calls for Scotland to have its own team at the Olympic Games.

Labour attacked the SNP saying that it should share in Britain's pride in Team GB after its record performace in Beijing.

Chris Hoy, the triple-gold winning cyclist helped the team to notch up its best showing for a century but under SNP plans he would not compete under the Great Britain banner in future.

Stewart Maxwell, the Scottish Sports Minister said: ”If you look at Jamaica, a small island nation, they won gold, silver and bronze in the women's sprint, they've got world records, they've won the men's, the women's 100 and 200 metres and the relay. This is an exceptionally brilliant nation - at the same time a small nation. Scotland can compete on the world stage - we proved that in the Olympics - and a Scottish team at the Olympics is the future.”

The Nationalist administration at Holyrood plans to hold a referendum on independence in 2010, two years before the next Games in London. But in response to calls to celebrate Scots playing a big role within Team GB, Mr Maxwell added: “Do Irish athletes want to rejoin the UK and be part of the UK team? Do we want to get rid of the GB team and have a European team because a European team would sweep the board.

“So I think you have to think about whether or not it's appropriate in the level you represent your own country in. I think it's quite right you represent your own country.”

Labour said that Mr Maxwell's comments were out of tune with the vast majority of Scots. Frank McAveety, the party's sports spokesman said: “It takes amazingly small minds to draw a negative from our success in Beijing.

“Barring Scottish athletes from Team GB is not in the interests of Scottish sport. We should not dismember a great team. The vast majority of Scottish athletes don't want to break up the UK Olympic team. They want to be in it. Alex Salmond's comments are an insult to Scottish elite athletes and an insult to our Olympic team.

“I'm absolutely passionate about Scotland and I want Scotland to do well, but I'm also exceptionally proud of team GB's performance in the Olympics. I don't see why I should be asked to make a choice between those two,” Mr McAveety added.

The row came as Gordon Brown was criticised over calls for a Great Britain football, team to represent the UK at the next Games.

The Prime Minister was criticised by the SNP after saying that he was determined the move would go ahead.

Britain has not entered a football team at the Games since 1960 because of fears that it could jeopardise the international future of the individual home nations' sides.

Cathy Jamieson, one of the Scottish Labour leadership hopefuls, distanced herself yesterday from Mr Brown's comments and sided with the SFA.

She said that it would be wrong to lose Scotland's place in international football for the sake of entering a Great Britian team in 2012 and called for a home nations play off for the right to go forward as the team representing the UK.

“I want the football and Olympic authorities to sit down and work out a solution. One option could be a home nations football tournament with the winner representing the UK at the Olympics. Team GB should include a football team, but not at the expense of Scotland's football team. It would be wrong to gamble with the identity of Scotland's football team.”

The SNP claimed that Mr Brown had scored a “spectacular own goal”.

Alex Salmond said: “The fact is that Gordon Brown has become so obsessed with his British campaign he has lost touch with reality. This is not a popular idea, not only do all the national supporters' associations oppose this but the majority of football associations in the UK have said that they do not want to take part in a single UK team.

“Gordon Brown has scored an own goal of spectacular proportions by promoting this daft idea on the eve of a vital Scottish by-election.”

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