Future Olympians on parade in Cardiff
The UK’s most promising young athletes gathered at Cardiff’s Oval Basin on Thursday for the opening ceremony of the 2009 UK School Games. They received a typically warm Welsh welcome and an evening of entertainment, culminating in a spectacular firework display.
The event, organised by the Youth Sport Trust aims to inspire the UK’s finest young athletes, 1,600 in total, to go on to become tomorrow’s Olympians. As a foretaste of what could lie ahead, the opening and closing ceremony attempts to mirror that of the Olympic Games – albeit on a smaller scale than the recent razzmatazz of Beijing.
Richard Thomas, Managing Director of Cardiff & Co, the organisation charged with promoting the capital said, “It seems fitting that that the UK School Games are being held in Cardiff this year with the city designated as the UK’s European City of Sport 2009. I’m certain that these elite young athletes, many with aspirations of competing at the 2012 Olympics will be impressed by the facilities in Cardiff and also in Newport and Swansea who are hosting the cycling and swimming and Judo respectively.”
He added, “It seems like only yesterday that the city was playing host to the first Ashes Test between England and Australia. After the hugely successful opener at the SWALEC Stadium, England went on to win the Ashes. Let’s hope that this year’s UK School Games will also prove to be a springboard for future success for some of these determined young athletes. We wish them all well and will hopefully see many of them fulfilling their dreams with an appearance at the London 2012 Olympic Games.”
For further information on the UK School Games, please visit:
04/09/2009
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