UK School Games 2007 to be even bigger

Coventry, 23 to 26 August 2007

LONDON, 13 February 2007

The second UK School Games will be even bigger than the first, when it takes place in Coventry this summer.

Details of the event were announced at a press conference in Coventry today attended by local hero and Olympic sprint relay gold medallist Marlon Devonish, who is an ambassador for the 2007 Games.

1300 children will compete in the 2007 UK School Games which will be held at five venues around the city from 23 to 26 August. That's 300 more competitors than at the inaugural UK School Games in Glasgow last September.

Three new sports, badminton, judo and volleyball, have been added to the?five sports of athletics, fencing, gymnastics, swimming and table tennis, which featured in the 2006 Games. Disability events in athletics and swimming will also be included.

The UK School Games is for the best youngsters of school age who will be selected to compete by their sport's governing body. It is not a school versus school competition.

The event has been designed to replicate a major adult multi-sport competition and will have an opening and closing ceremony plus an athlete's village.

£2.3 million in National Lottery funding has been awarded to the Youth Sport Trust through the Big Lottery Fund, to develop the UK School Games until 2011 and for the 2007 Games in Coventry. Visa is the presenting sponsor of the 2007 Games which are also being supported by Coventry City Council.

2007 UK School Games venues:

The University of Warwick will host the athletics competition
Coventry Leisure Centre will be the venue for badminton and swimming
The Ricoh Arena will host fencing and table tennis
The Sky Dome (Ice Arena) will host gymnastics
The Alan Higgs Centre will be venue for judo and volleyball

Athletics
12 teams from the under-17 age group competing in 35 events over the weekend of 25 and 26 August. In addition there will be a number of disability athletics events.

Badminton
One team from each home country, with competitors from the under-17 age group competing in both individual and team events. The two and a half days of competition begin on the afternoon of Friday 24 August.

Fencing
One team from each home country, with competitors from the under-17 age group competing in foil, epée and sabre categories. Both individual and team events will be held over two days of competition on 25 and 26 August.

Gymnastics
One team from each home country in competition on Saturday 25 August. The men's artistic event will be for the under-16 age group while the women's will feature under-19s.

Judo
One team from each home country, with competitors from the 16 to 18 age group competing over two and a half days from the afternoon of Friday 24th August.

Swimming
Eight teams from the under-16 age group in competition on Saturday 25 August,?four from England,?two from Scotland, one all Ireland and one from Wales. Disability events will also take place in the pool.

Table tennis
Eight teams, from England north, south east, south west, west midlands, east midlands, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The two and a half days of competition for under-18's will begin on the afternoon of Friday 24 August.

Volleyball
Six Teams,?three from England, two from Scotland and one from Northern Ireland in competition from the afternoon of Friday 24 August to Sunday 26 August. The girls' competition will be for under-16s while the boys will feature under-17s.

Marlon Devonish, Olympic relay gold medallist said:
"I'm proud that the 2007 UK School Games will be held in my home city of Coventry and I'm sure it will be a great success.

"The UK School Games is an excellent event and offers a fantastic opportunity for young competitors to experience a similar environment to that in which elite athletes compete. I believe it will help them learn how to stay focused and perform well when they're in the spotlight at a high profile competition, a skill which will be invaluable as they progress into the senior ranks."

Steve Grainger, chief executive of the Youth Sport Trust, said:
"The Youth Sport Trust was delighted with the success of the inaugural UK School Games in Glasgow last year and we are looking forward to raising the bar even higher in Coventry this summer.

"The UK School Games is an inspirational and motivational event which is already helping to transform the competitive opportunities for school age children. The increased number of sports in this year's event will give even more young competitors and volunteers the chance to experience this fantastic four-day celebration of the UK's young sporting talent."

Sir Clive Booth, Big Lottery Fund chair said:
"The Big Lottery Fund is delighted to support the UK School Games and welcomes its arrival in Coventry this year. This builds on our considerable Lottery investment in grassroots and school sport.

"The Games will present a unique opportunity for young people to experience the feel of a major multi-sporting event and, I hope, inspire young athletes throughout the UK to participate fully in sporting activity."

Colin Grannell, executive vice president and head of partnership marketing, Visa Europe said:
"We are delighted that Visa is acting as presenting sponsor once more for the UK School Games. We are keen to continue our role in supporting young British athletes, both able bodied and those with a disability, as their training and dedication takes them along the road to Beijing 2008 and London 2012.

"Visa has been a partner of both the BOA and BPA for many years and support of events such as the UK School Games will help to deliver the legacy vision that was expressed so fervently by Lord Coe in July 2005, when London was awarded the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012."

Councillor Ken Taylor, leader of Coventry City Council, said:
"I'm thrilled Coventry has been chosen to host the 2007 UK School Games, and I'm looking forward to welcoming thousands of visitors to our city for what promises to be one of the most exciting sporting events of the year.

"In Coventry we're proud of being a can-do city and are rapidly establishing a national reputation as an excellent venue to host prestigious events like the Games."

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Notes to editors:
The Big Lottery Fund, the largest of the National Lottery good cause distributors, was set up in June 2004. It gives grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK and rolls out nearly £2 million in Lottery money every day.

The 2007 UK School Games in Coventry are being funded through £2.3 million of Lottery money awarded by the Millennium Commission in 2006, for which the Big Lottery Fund is now responsible.

Big Lottery Fund, DCMS and Arts Council England are supporting a legacy trust with over £40 million to fund sporting and cultural activity across the country in the lead up to London 2012. A portion of the funding will be dedicated to the funding of the UK School Games from 2008 to 2011.

Big Lottery Fund press office: 020 7211 1888 / out of hours: 07867 500 572. Full details of the work of the Big Lottery Fund, its programmes and awards are available on the website: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk

The Youth Sport Trust is a registered charity established in 1994 to build a brighter future for young people through sport. Its mission is to support the education and development of all young people through sport. Please visit www.youthsporttrust.org for more information.

Fast Track have been appointed by the Youth Sport Trust to deliver event management and media services for the UK School Games.

Visa's corporate commitment to the International Olympic Committee, the Olympic Movement, the National Olympic and Paralympic Committees and national teams and individuals, has been an important factor in ensuring the continuance and success of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Visa is signed up as a worldwide partner to both the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games until 2012 and as such is firmly committed to the success of London 2012.

Coventry has a 'can-do' reputation for events, with the capture of this year's UK School Games following on from last year's International Children's Games, the annual Lady Godiva Half-Marathon and a packed annual events programme including Godiva, Jazz, Motoring and Mad UK festivals.

Contact details:

For further information about the UK School Games please contact Lisa Harper at Fast Track, +44 (0)20 7593 5293 or +44 (0)7881 822 161.

Visa Europe press office
Tel: +44 (0)20 7795 5463
E-mail: europeanmedia@visa.com