Edinburgh Youth Games Fly High

Monday 26 May 2003

Nearly 1000 young sports enthusiasts from City of Edinburgh and the seven surrounding local authorities took part in the 2003 BAA Edinburgh Airport Youth Games, held in the city on Friday 23 May.

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 activity, and emphasise participation as much as winning.

The Edinburgh Games are co-ordinated by Edinburgh Leisure on behalf of sportscotland and BAA Scottish Airports. The event ran across four venues and covered nine sports, including those for people with a disability. This year the Games followed an airport theme that was carried throughout. From the opening 'take-off' and closing 'landing' ceremonies hosted by local radio station Forth One presenters, to team songs, banners and face painting. For those with surplus energy left, there was a range of fun activities, including dance workshops, and fitness testing.

BAA Youth Games will also take place in Glasgow and Aberdeen in June this year. In all, more than 5000 young people will participate in Youth Games throughout Scotland during 2003, representing 25 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 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 Jeffries, Managing Director of Edinburgh Airport, said: "The BAA Edinburgh Airport Youth Games is now an established part of the sporting calendar, with participants coming from all over the east and central Scotland to take part. During the last five years, our sponsorship has given many thousands of youngsters the opportunity to take part in a major sporting event. We believe that though 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."

RESULTS FROM BAA EDINBURGH YOUTH GAMES

Badminton
1st - East Lothian
2nd - Edinburgh
3rd - Scottish Borders

Basketball - Boys
1st - Edinburgh
2nd - Falkirk
3rd - Clackmannanshire

Basketball - Girls
1st - Edinburgh
2nd - Falkirk
3rd - East Lothian

Swimming
1st - East Lothian - eight first places
2nd - Falkirk - seven first places
3rd - Scottish Borders

Tennis
1st - Borders
2nd - East Lothian
3rd - Edinburgh

Volleyball - Girls
1st - Edinburgh ‘A’
2nd - Edinburgh ‘D’
Joint 3rd - Edinburgh ‘B’
Joint 3rd - Edinburgh ‘C’

Volleyball - Boys
1st - West Lothian
2nd - Falkirk ‘A’
Joint 3rd - Falkirk ‘B’
Joint 3rd - Edinburgh ‘A’

Hockey - Girls
1st - Borders
2nd - East Lothian
3rd - Edinburgh

Hockey - Boys
1st - East Lothian
2nd - West Lothian
3rd - Edinburgh

Gymnastics - Level 1
1st - Falkirk
2nd - Clackmannanshire
3rd - Edinburgh

Gymnastics - Level 2
1st - Clackmannanshire
2nd - Edinburgh
3rd - Edinburgh

Football - Girls
1st - Falkirk
2nd - Edinburgh
3rd - Borders

Football - Disability
1st - Forth Valley
2nd - Edinburgh

Athletics
1st - Edinburgh
2nd - Falkirk
3rd - East Lothian

Disability Athletics
1st - Edinburgh (St Nicholas School)
2nd - Edinburgh (Pilrig Park)

• Venues for the BAA Edinburgh Airport Youth Games are: Meadowbank Stadium, Royal Commonwealth Pool, Craiglockhart Tennis Centre and Jack Kane Sports Centre
• Local Authorities participating in the BAA Edinburgh Airport Youth Games are: City of Edinburgh Council, Scottish Borders Council, Clackmannanshire Council, East Lothian Council, Falkirk Council, Stirling Council and West Lothian Council.
• Sports included in the BAA Edinburgh Airport Youth Games are: Athletics, Disability Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Disability Football, Football, Gymnastic, Hockey, Swimming, Tennis and Volleyball.
• BAA Scottish Airports Ltd manage Edinburgh Airport, Glasgow Airport and Aberdeen Airport.
• sportscotland is the national agency for the development of sport in Scotland. www.sportscotland.org.uk
• Forth One is also supporting the 2003 BAA Edinburgh Airport Youth Games.
• The other BAA Youth Games will take place as follows: BAA Glasgow Airport Youth Games, Friday 6.June; BAA Aberdeen Airport Youth Games, Saturday 7 June.