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Local talent heads to UK School Games
Following the Olympics Northern Ireland’s young sporting talent will be participating in an Olympic style competition of their own this weekend, the UK School Games. Nine teams from Northern Ireland will attend the third UK School Games taking place in Bristol and Bath hoping to bring home medals in Athletics, Badminton, Fencing, Gymnastics, Hockey, Judo, Swimming, Table Tennis and Volleyball.
The Games, an exciting initiative designed to encourage more young people to take part in sport and provide them with the experience of being involved in a major multi-sport competitive event, will see 1500 competitors in nine sports battling for honours. The athletes will be placed into a four-day Games environment and will experience an athletes’ village and opening and closing ceremony, designed to replicate the feel of a major event such as the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
UK School Games Champion Ambassador - Tony Stephenson
Chair of Sport Northern Ireland, Dominic Walsh, highlights the importance of these Games: “A competition of this style is a benchmark for aspiring athletes to work towards, as well as providing a great experience for them to build upon for their sporting careers. As the lead agency for developing sport in Northern Ireland, Sport NI is committed to raising the standards of sporting excellence through investment in the governing bodies of sport to ensure the development of young athletes. I wish all the athletes participating the best of luck and I look forward to hearing of the results at the weekend.”
As well as the athletes attending the Games, this event has a special meaning for Tony Stephenson who earlier this year was named as a UK School Games Champion ambassador. Following his outstanding performance at last year’s Games in Coventry where he secured the boys singles Gold Medal for Northern Ireland, Lisburn badminton player Tony was named as one of the UK School Games Champion Ambassadors. He is one of 12 ambassadors representing all four home countries; with the responsibility of playing an active role in contributing to the future development of the UK School Games.
Tony was thrilled at being chosen:
“I find it quite an honour to be named an ambassador. Coventry was the only Games I competed in and unfortunately I will be too old for this year’s one in Bristol and Bath, but I hope that my role as ambassador will help me make the Games an amazing occasion for future competitors”.
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