Sport England invests in tomorrow´s champions

Sport England invests in tomorrow's champions Three International captains will be supporting the next generation of young sporting talent on Monday when Sport England unveils how it is investing in over 10,000 potential champions in the run up to the Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games. Among them will be Lee Crooks, the former Castleford Tigers and GB rugby league skipper who will be supporting Sport England as it launches the Active Sports Talent Camp programme on April 29th at the Devonshire Park International Tennis Centre in Eastbourne between 12 noon and 2pm. The Talent Camps are the largest youth element of the 2002 Commonwealth Games celebrations and the leading sporting aspect of the Spirit of Friendship Festival to mark the Games in Manchester. An estimated 10,000 young people from nine different sports will be stepping into the shoes of elite athletes at the nine multi-sport Talent Camps being held across the country in June and July. These future stars have all been chosen by their respective Governing Body as having real potential and they will enjoy two days of top coaching, lifestyle management, training, sports science etc, everything they need to motivate and inspire them for a career of sporting success. To emphasize the next generation of sporting talent Ian and Liam Botham will be attending the national launch of the Active Sports Talent Camps in Eastbourne. Ian, of course, was one of England's finest cricketing all-rounders and now is a successful broadcaster. Liam has represented England A at rugby union and is a professional player with the Newcastle Falcons. Also backing the Active Sports Talent Camps in Eastbourne will be Paula George, captain of the England Women's Rugby team and Angela Banks, England and Arsenal Ladies footballer and National Division top-scorer. England hockey international Denise Marston-Smith and former Olympic hurdler Jon Ridgeon will also be attending. Other guests include Trevor Brooking, Chair of Sport England, David Moffett, Chief Executive of Sport England. Brian Stocks, Director of Sport for the Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games and Jo Hartley, Director of the Spirit of Friendship Festival. The national launch event will also feature a dazzling showcase to capture the excitement and scale of the Active Sports Talent Camps. Ian Botham said: "It is great to see talent being taken seriously in this country, we have all too often let young sportsmen and women, who could go on to be world-beaters, slip through the net. The Active Sports Talent Camps will help identify and train a large number of potential champions so our athletes can shine on the world's sporting stages, like the Commonwealth Games." "The Active Sports Talent Camps and the Manchester Commonwealth Games are showing how to harness and encourage young talent in this country," Ian added. Young athletes with disabilities will also be taking part at each of the Active Sports Talent Camps across a number of sports such as swimming, basketball and athletics. Trevor Brooking, chair of Sport England said: "Sport England has invested millions of pounds in the infrastructure of the Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games so I believe it is vital that work is supported with this programme which will provide a legacy not only for the talented young people taking part but for the sports, coaches and volunteers who will make the Active Sports Talent Camps happen." Jo Hartley, director of the Commonwealth Games Spirit of Friendship Festival said the Active Sports Talent Camps, like the Games, were integral to the future of sport in Britain and would leave an unprecedented legacy. "The Talent Camps feature as a leading element of the Commonwealth Games Festival which is designed to inspire the nation's youth to follow their dreams, both on and off the sporting field, from athletics through to the arts," she said. The timetable and locations for each of the camps is listed below with the selection process across the nine sports expected to be complete by the end of May. Region Venue of Talent Camp Date East University of East Anglia 22nd and 23rd June South East Eastbourne 29th and 30th June Yorkshire Sheffield 29th and 30th June East Midlands Loughborough University 6th and 7th July London Crystal Palace National SC 8th and 9th July West Midlands University of Warwick 13th and 14th July North East Sunderland/North East 13th and 14th July North West University of Central Lancashire 20th and 21st July South West Millfield School 20th and 21st July To attend the event or arrange interviews please contact Matt Horler on the numbers below or by e-mail matthew.horler@sportengland.org. Broadcast quality footage and photographic stills will be available from the event on request. Notes to editors: Sport England, the country's leading sports development agency, has made a huge investment to help Manchester host the 2002 Commonwealth Games. To date, £135 million of Lottery investment has been allocated to provide world class facilities for use during the Games. These facilities include Sportcity (incorporating the Commonwealth Games Stadium), the Manchester Aquatics Centre, Bolton Arena and Belle Vue. In addition to this Sport England is providing an extra £30 million for revenue support. As well as this capital investment, Sport England has committed £750,000 to help Team England's quest for gold at the Games. This money will help Team England's preparations for the Games and is being used for key appointments to the squad, an education programme for team managers and officials, and athlete preparation. ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by Waymaker http://www.waymaker.net The following files are available for download: http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2002/04/26/20020426BIT01660/wkr0001.doc http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2002/04/26/20020426BIT01660/wkr0002.pdf