Campbell: we can find new Olympians

Athletics
OLYMPIC champion Darren Campbell will launch the Greater Manchester School Games at the National Cycling Centre on Monday.

Designed to motivate and inspire young people to take part in competitive sport, the Games officially get under way on July 6 at several locations used in the 2002 Commonwealth Games.

Around 1,500 young people from more than 200 two hundred schools dotted around the North-West, including Oldham, will take part in the Games.Campbell, a Mancunian, pops in on Monday (10am) to spread the word about an event which will be run by young ambassadors and volunteers — the first of the Government’s 2012 Olympic and Paralympic ‘legacy events’.

He said: “It’s incredibly inspiring to see young people from all over Greater Manchester coming together to compete in such a variety of sports.

“Participating in and enjoying sport is one of the best ways to learn, to grow in confidence, to make friends and, who knows, maybe even compete in the Olympics one day.”

Athletics, badminton, netball, golf, rugby union, swimming, tennis and volleyball are on the agenda.

Councillor Mike Amesbury, Manchester City Council’s executive member for culture and leisure, said: “It is a privilege to share our world-class sporting facilities along with our expertise in staging regional, national and world sporting events.”