Olympic-style sports competition
A new Olympic and Paralympic-style sports competition for young people across England was announced today.
The competition is a key part of the Government’s plans to generate a lasting sporting legacy from hosting the London 2012 Games and to make sporting opportunities available to everyone.
Plans
Stage 1: Up to £10 million of lottery funding, distributed by Sport England, creates a new sports league structure for primary and secondary schools.
Stage 2: From 2011, schools compete against each other in local leagues; winning athletes and teams qualify for up to 60 county finals.
Stage 3: The most talented young athletes are selected for the national finals.
Stage 4: The national finals are held in the run up to the London Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012.
Stage 5: The ambition is for the competition to continue after 2012.
Schools will also be encouraged to host in-house Olympic-style sports days so that children of all abilities have the opportunity to compete. There will be a Paralympic element at every level of the competition for young people with disabilities.
The value of competition
“I want to give a real boost to competitive sport in schools using the power of hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games to encourage young people - whatever age or ability - to take part in this new competition,” said Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport.
“Competitive sport - whether you win or lose - teaches young people great lessons for life. It encourages teamwork, dedication and striving to be the best that you can be.”