Conservative Party: Plans for Olympics-style school sport competition

David Cameron has today outlined plans to secure an Olympic legacy and boost competitive sport with an Olympics-style school sports competition.

The annual school sports competition was launched today with sporting heroes James Cracknell and Gavin Hastings.

The competition will begin with heats in 2011 and climax with a finals session held in the Olympic Stadium in 2012. It will see individual schools crowned as champions in a variety of different sports and age groups.

"We all know that it would be good to have more competitive sport in our schools", Cameron said. "I think sport is incredibly important for not just fitness, not just teamwork but also learning about winning and losing and taking part and being part of a team."

He said that a key reason for the School Olympics was so that it helped to make sure that the 2012 Olympics benefits the whole country, not just London.

"Every school can take part in heats all around the country with the finals taking place in the Olympic Stadium. What a great idea for our country a School Olympics would be."

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The scheme has been endorsed by leading sportsmen:

• Ian Wright: "Young children aren’t always given the opportunity to see what they’re capable of or to channel their energy properly. Sport gives them this opportunity. It builds confidence, it’s healthy and, of course, it is also really fun. This scheme will give lots of children who might not otherwise have had the opportunity a chance to get involved in competition and sport and I think that’s a really positive idea."
• Ben Ainslie: "This is a great idea which will help provide a genuine legacy from the London 2012 Olympic Games. The legacy question is the great unanswered one about the Olympics so I am delighted to have worked with the Conservatives in drawing this up, along with other ideas for the Olympic legacy which we’ll unveil in due course."
• Jason Leonard: "This programme looks to offer many sports to many children at many schools up and down the country – that has to be a good thing! I think all professional sportsmen and women look back to those formative years at school and recognise how important they were. Competitive sport is simply an absolute must and I am delighted to put my name to anything which seeks to promote and deliver that."