A new Olympic and Paralympic-style sports competition for young
people across England was announced today by Culture Secretary
Jeremy Hunt and Education Secretary Michael Gove.
Up to £10 million of lottery funding, distributed by Sport
England, will create a new sports league structure for primary and
secondary schools culminating in an inaugural national final to be
held in the run up to the London Olympic and Paralympic Games in
2012.
The competition is a key part of the Government's plans for a
lasting sporting legacy from hosting the London 2012 Games and to
maximise the sporting opportunities available to all.
Schools will compete against each other in leagues at a local level
from 2011 with winning athletes and teams qualifying for up to 60
county finals.
The most talented young athletes will then be selected for the
national finals. 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 ambition is for the competition to continue after 2012.
Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport Jeremy
Hunt said:
“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.
“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. This will be a key
part of our drive to leave a real lasting sports legacy from
London’s games.”
Education Secretary Michael Gove said:
“We need to revive competitive sport in our schools. Fewer than
a third of school pupils take part in regular competitive sport
within schools, and fewer than one in five take part in regular
competition between schools. The School Olympics give us a chance
to change that for good.”
Sport England chief executive Jennie Price said:
“Experiencing the thrill of sporting success is not something we
all get to enjoy. But now, through this competition, more children
across the country will get a taste of what it means to be part of
a major sporting event. The more people London 2012 inspires, the
greater the long-term impact of hosting the Games will be.”
Youth Sport Trust School Sport Ambassador Denise Lewis,
said:
“This is a fantastic opportunity to build on the excellent work
that is being driven by School Sport Partnerships across the
country to develop and encourage competitive sporting opportunities
for young people. Competitive sport, when delivered well, can
benefit young people in so many ways – from developing social
skills and breaking down cultural barriers to providing a platform
for self-expression and a sense of achievement. As a
naturally competitive person, I’m delighted that more opportunities
are being created for young people to compete in sport at
school.”
Notes to editors
- Jeremy Hunt’s speech at the City of London Academy in
Bermondsey, which outlined the scheme, is available on the DCMS website.
- DCMS is currently working closely with the BOA, Sport England
and Youth Sport Trust on the competition, with a more detailed
announcement to come later in the year.