Go To TopHome Access Site Map Search Legals Comments Accessibility
Putting sport first

You are in: 

1000 youngsters in-bound for Edinburgh airport youth games

14 May 2002

More than 1000 young sports enthusiasts from Edinburgh and surrounding local authorities will participate in the 2002 BAA Edinburgh Airport Youth Games, to be held in the city on Friday 24 May.

"...we are not only making a positive contribution to sport, but influencing the lives of youngsters in our local communities."

The games, sponsored by BAA Scottish Airports, provide a unique opportunity for a large number of youngsters with a broad range of abilities to experience the thrill of participating in a major sporting event. The games aim to promote the benefits of sport and physical exercise, and emphasise participation as much as winning.

The Edinburgh games are co-ordinated by Edinburgh Leisure on behalf of sportscotland and BAA Scottish Airports. This year the event will spread across three venues and cover nine sports, including those for people with a disability. In addition, local radio station, Forth One, will be on-site to host the opening and closing ceremonies, athletes from the Scottish Commonwealth Games Team will be around to sign autographs and there will be a range of fun activities, including dance workshops, face painting and fitness testing.

BAA Youth Games will also take place in Aberdeen and Glasgow in June this year. In all, more than 5000 young people will participate in Youth Games throughout Scotland during 2002, representing 28 of Scotland's 32 local authorities.

Alastair Dempster, sportscotland Chairman, said: "The Games unique philosophy of placing as much emphasis on participation as winning, reinforces all the positive aspects of being physically active and supports us in our drive to make more people, more active, more often. BAA Scottish Airports' support, and our partnership with Scotland's local authorities, has made it possible to create an event that adds a new dimension to the range of sporting opportunities available to young people throughout Scotland".

Richard Jeffrey, managing director of Edinburgh Airport, said: "The Edinburgh Airport Youth Games are now an established part of the sporting calendar, with participants coming from all over East and Central Scotland to take part. During the last four years our sponsorship has given many thousands of youngsters the opportunity to take part in a major sporting event and we believe that through the games focus on grass roots sports development we are not only making a positive contribution to sport, but influencing the lives of youngsters in our local communities."

Keith Jackson, chief executive, Edinburgh Leisure, said, "The BAA Edinburgh Airport Youth Games provide a fabulous opportunity for young people in this area. Edinburgh Leisure is linking this year's event to the theme of the Commonwealth to coincide with the Commonwealth Games in Manchester in July.

  • Venues for the The BAA Edinburgh Airport Youth Games are: Meadowbank Stadium, Commonwealth Swimming Pool, Craiglockhart Tennis Centre.
  • Local Authorities participating in the BAA Edinburgh Airport Youth Games are: City of Edinburgh Council, Scottish Borders Council, East Lothian Council, West Lothian Council, Fife Council, Falkirk Council, Stirling Council, Clackmannanshire Council.
  • Sports included in the BAA Edinburgh Airport Youth Games are: Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Football, Hockey, Gymnastics, Volleyball, Swimming, Tennis
  • BAA Scottish Airports Ltd own Edinburgh Airport, Glasgow Airport and Aberdeen Airport.
  • sportscotland is the national agency for the development of sport in Scotland. www.sportscotland.org.uk
  • Radio Forth and the Sunday Mail are also supporting the 2002 BAA Edinburgh Airport Youth Games.
  • Additional Youth Games will take place as follows: BAA Aberdeen Airport Youth Games, Saturday 8 June; BAA Glasgow Airport Youth Games, Friday 21 June.
+