Edinburgh airport youth games takes off

Tuesday 28 May 2002

More than 1000 young sports enthusiasts from Edinburgh and surrounding local authorities participated in the 2002 BAA Edinburgh Airport Youth Games, which was on Friday 24 May 2002.

"It is great seeing so many young kids showing their enthusiasm for sport."

The Games, sponsored by BAA Scottish Airports, provided 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, with the support of Sunday Mail. The event spread across three venues and covered nine sports, including those for people with a disability. In addition, local radio station, Forth One, were on-site to host the Opening and Closing ceremonies, athletes from the Scottish Commonwealth Games Team signed autographs and a huge range of fun activities, including dance workshops, face painting and fitness testing took place.

The BAA Youth Games followed suit of the Commonwealth Games, and every team represented a country that is participating in this years Games in Manchester. Theme song's, face painting and banners were all tailored to the particular country they represented.

In keeping with the Commonwealth theme of the Youth Games, British light/middle weight champion, Craig McEwan, attended the games, to spread the Commonwealth spirit amongst the participants. Craig, looking forward to the Commonwealth Games being held in Manchester in July, was very impressed with the BAA Youth Games. "It is great seeing so many young kids showing their enthusiasm for sport. I've really enjoyed being here today."

Also lending his support to the BAA Youth Games was former Hibernian Football Club Manager, Jim Duffy. Jim presented the medals to the winners of the local disability football team winners
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.
  

RESULTS FROM BAA EDINBURGH YOUTH GAMES

Athletics
Fife - 1st, East Lothian - 2nd, Edinburgh - 3rd, Borders - 4th, Stirling - 5th, Falkirk - 6th
Disability Athletics
Edinburgh - 1st, Fife - 2nd
Badminton
Edinburgh - 1st, East Lothian -2nd, Borders - 3rd, Fife - 4th, Falkirk - 5th, West Lothian - 6th
Girls Football
Edinburgh - 1st, Fife - 2nd
Disability Football
Forth Valley - 1st, Forth Valley - 2nd
Gymnastics Level 1
Edinburgh A - 1st, Falkirk A - 2nd, Falkirk C - 3rd
Gymnastics Level 2
Falkirk A - 1st, Clackmannanshire - 2nd, West Lothian - 3rd
Boys Basketball
Edinburgh - 1st, Falkirk - 2nd, West Lothian - 3rd, Clackmannanshire and East Lothian equal 4th
Girls Basketball
Falkrik 1st, Fife 2nd, Edinburgh 3rd, West Lothin 4th, East Lothian 5th, Clackmannanshire 6th
Boys Hockey
Edinburgh - 1st, Fife - 2nd, West Lothian - 3rd, East Lothian - 4th, Stirling - 5th
Girls Hockey
Edinburgh - 1st, East Lothian - 2nd, Fife - 3rd, Borders - 4th, West Lothian - 5th, Stirling - 6th
Tennis
Borders - 1st, Fife - 2nd, Edinburgh - 3rd, East Lothian - 4th
Boys Volleyball
Edinburgh - 1st, West Lothian - 2nd
Girls Volleyball
Edinburgh - 1st, East Lothian - 2nd
Swimming
Fife - 1st, Borders - 2nd, Falkirk - 3rd
Disability Swimming
Edinburgh - 1st, Fife 2nd