Young athletes will be able to stage their own version of the 2012 Olympic games in the same venues that international sporting heroes will be competing in months later, under plans unveiled by Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt.
The “School Games 2012” will be held in four key stadiums to allow 1,600 youngsters to compete, with both able bodied and disabled sportspeople taking part.
The initiative will continue after the 2012 Olympics, hoping to encourage young people to play more sport. National Lottery and Government money is being used to fund the events, at a cost of over £100 million in the next three years.
“The 2012 School Games finals will be the largest ever event of its kind in the UK. It will be an unprecedented opportunity for our young athletes to run on the Olympic track before Usain Bolt, cut through the pool before Michael Phelps, and feel the speed of the Velodrome before Victoria Pendleton.”
Over seven and a half thousand schools have signed up so far. The pressure for school-age youngsters to perform in front of 35,000 spectators will be tough for the young sportspeople taking part.
Fortunately, all tickets to watch the event will be free, avoiding the confusion that surrounded the adult version of the games.
Baroness Sue Campbell, Chief Executive of the Youth Sport Trust, said:
“This is a truly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the very best young sportspeople to have an unforgettable experience ahead of London 2012. To compete in our finest venues in front of large crowds with the Olympic and Paralympic Games so close will be very special. For the young officials and volunteers it will also be a fantastic and memorable experience.”