Olympic silver medallists canoeist Campbell Walsh and cyclist Bryan Steel were amongst the local sports stars at the Harlem Globetrotters show at Nottingham Arena for the launch of the East Midlands Sporting Advocates programme.

The stars competed against each other in a basketball shoot out at half time with Nottingham's World IBO welterweight boxing champion, Jawaid Khaliq, and Northamptonshire's David Sutton, coach to motorcyclist Maria Costello, coming out as joint winners.

"It's harder than it looks," commented Jawaid, "I was more nervous than I am getting into the ring!"

The Sporting Advocates programme has been established in partnership between Sport England East Midlands, East Midlands Regional Assembly, East Midlands Development Agency (emda) and the Regional Public Health Group East Midlands.

The event marked the official launch of the programme, in which the advocates will be employed to raise the profile of events including the five County Youth Sport Games, the regional launch of the Tour of Britain, and key initiatives including healthy lifestyles and physical activity.

The advocates will be promoting the benefits of the East Midlands being a great place to live, work, train and play.  They will also continue to support the London 2012 bid. If London is successful it would make a significant difference to life in the East Midlands.

The East Midlands boasts the highest proportion of English athletes funded under the World Class Programmes living and training in the region. It is also home to the largest and most diverse range of sporting organisations in the country. The East Midlands has also shaped the careers of sporting icons such as Martin Johnson, Paula Radcliffe and Ellen McArthur.