Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, and Olympic champion Christine Ohuruogu, lit the flame at the Balfour Beatty London Youth Games earlier today to mark the official opening at the National Sports Centre, Crystal Palace.
The cauldron was lit in front of an audience of 3,000 children representing all 33 London boroughs taking part in the Mini Games across nine different sports.
It marked the start of an exciting weekend of youth sport in the capital, culminating in the finals on Saturday July 3 and Sunday July 4.
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “The London Youth Games boast a proud tradition stretching back more than three decades and are a magnificent catalyst, motivating and inspiring young Londoners.
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“Dozens of Olympic and Paralympic gold medallists from across the capital have cut their teeth at this important event, showing that we as a country can compete at the highest levels.
“The London Youth Games plays a magnificent role in motivating and inspiring young Londoners to take up sport. It is a catalyst for competitive sport, giving young people a focus, a purpose and something to really strive for, helping to stimulate participation and produce champions of the future.”
The finals will see 6,000 secondary age children compete across 18 sports as the London Youth Games season reaches a climax with the winning borough being awarded the Jubilee Trophy.
Christine Ohuruogu is the 2010 patron of the London Youth Games and a former competitor at the event. She said: “The London Youth Games holds very special memories for me, it was an event I always loved taking part in.
“It opened my eyes to sport on a wider scale. It’s important to love what you do and I love being an athlete, the London Youth Games played a big role in nurturing that love of sport and spurred me on to continue in sport.
“It’s fantastic to see thousands of young children at the London Youth Games enjoying sport so much, just as I was all those years ago. It is such a well-loved and important event for the city’s young people and having the Mayor lighting the flame reflects its status within London sport.”
Around 47,000 young people participated in last year’s London Youth Games and 84% said the event made them more likely to continue to participate in sport. This year numbers are expected to reach 50,000.
Jessica Whittington, Sportsister
The Women’s Sports Magazine
