Sutton students gear up for this year’s London Youth Games (LYG) as the new season approaches.
The London School Games opening event takes place on Saturday November 18 and Sutton school kids are raring to go and compete in 9 months of unforgettable sporting action.
With 2,113 Sutton school kids taking part last year, competing in 30 different sports, the borough are keen to climb the ranks and beat last year’s performance, when they finished 29th place out of the 33 competing London boroughs.
LYG is Europe’s largest sporting festival, part the national School Games programme and saw over 129,000 children from across London participate last year.
School Games organisers arrange the school competitions locally, with the London finals hosted by LYG.
Jon Hughes, chief executive officer of the London Youth Games, said: “After celebrating our 40th anniversary last year, we’re really excited this year that we should be reaching our 1.5 millionth participant.
“The 2018 Games Year will be as special as ever, with nearly 100 competitions across over 30 sports, enabling young people to play at some of London’s best and most historic sporting facilities, such as Lord’s, the Olympic Park and Crystal Palace.”
The Games are heavily supported by volunteers who give up their time, bringing their skills and enthusiasm to the event.
Mr Hughes, added: “Last year we won the London Sport “Bigger and Better Workforce” award for our GamesForce volunteering programme and we’re hugely proud of, and inspired by, all of our volunteers.”
This year’s season opening will be held at Parliament Hill on Saturday November 18, with the London Youth Games cross-country race, an event graced by British sporting legend, Sir Mo Farah, who once competed for his home borough of Hounslow.
Mr Hughes added: “As ever, participants can look forward to high quality events and competitions which we hope will enable and inspire them to push themselves to find out just what they are capable of.
“They’ll have the opportunity to pull on their borough shirt and represent their local communities, while at the same time playing alongside other young people from all of the diverse backgrounds that make London such an amazing city, in a fun and supportive environment.”
