Picture Gallery: Childrens’ sports day proves an inspiration
Torch bearers...Dean Barnett, Martin Johnson and Rob Gomez before the opening ceremony at Welland Park. (Mail Pic: Andrew Carpenter/001507-1)
OLYMPIC excitement reached fever-pitch for schoolchildren taking part in the International Sports and Fun Day at Harborough’s Welland Park.
Saturday’s event, organised by Harborough Twenty 12 Lions Club, saw twelve district primary schools adopt a country to take part in various sporting competitions.
See a gallery of photos from the day here.
The day began with an opening ceremony attended by rugby World Cup winner Martin Johnson.
Robert Smyth pupils led competitors from the primary schools in an Olympic themed dance before Johnno presented each school with its country’s flag while the national anthems were played.
The children - about 200 in all - then took to the field to compete in races, jumping and throwing competitions as well as a mini-hockey game called Quicksticks, in three different age groups.
The winners in each event were afterwards invited to step on to a podium to receive gold, silver and bronze medals while the national anthems of their adopted countries were played.
Lions District governor Paul Anstice presented the medals to winners in Years 1-2 while Leicestershire County Council chairman Peter Lewis did the honours for Years 3-4.
Event co-ordinator Mike Gee presented the medals to the Years 5-6 age group, after paralysed London Marathon hero Claire Lomas had to pull out due to the ground being too soft for her wheelchair.
Elsewhere there were stalls, games and sports taster sessions hosted by Harborough District Council and run by the Cuthbert’s Rainbow Baton Twirlers, Market Harborough Rugby Club and Capoeira, an acrobatic Brazilian martial art.
Unfortunately the event had to be scaled down slightly due to the recent rain, with no live music and a smaller fair, as the ground was too soft to take the trailer which would have provided a stage, or for the larger fairground rides.
However organisers said it was still a success.
Mr Gee said: “The opening sequence with the Robert Smyth Academy sports ambassadors and the flag ceremony with Martin Johnson while the national anthems played was fantastic. I heard people say afterwards they had a lump in their throat.
“To see the parents with beaming smiles on their faces while their children received their medals was great.
“We didn’t quite have as many people as we were hoping for, mainly thanks to the weather, but it was inspirational to see the kids taking part. They were really going for it. It made all the hard work worth it.”
Mr Gee thanked everyone who took part or helped organise the event, including Robert Smyth and Welland Park Academies and Harborough District Council.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Market Harborough
Sunday 19 May 2013
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 10 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 11 C to 17 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: North
