Bassetlaw’sOlympic bid

Local organisations, businesses and sports people all pitched in to support the Bassetlaw Games programme at a special sports activity day at Sir Edmund Hillary Primary School last Wednesday.

The Bassetlaw Games will cover 45 different sporting activites over several days, culminating in a massive event at Clumber Park next year.

Rebecca Webster, PE co-ordinator and Year 3/4 teacher, thanked everyone who helped to make the Get Set Sport Celebration Day such a fantastic success.

“We had great support from the community, including school governors and parents, and the sports coaches were absolutely phenomenal,” she said. “We not only want to raise the profile of sport clubs in our area and build up numbers but also create Olympians of the future.”

She added: “We’d really like to run the event next year, so if there are any sports clubs out there who would like to get involved then please get in touch.”

Pupils at their schools gave their views on what sports they would like to see featured in next year’s Games and enjoyed prizes presented by Mr Mann at a special assembly.

Bassetlaw Council is working with a range of sports clubs, including the Worksop Harriers, to put together a comprehensive programme of events ready for next year.

The Bassetlaw Games aim to encourage people of all ages to get more active and try out new sport, as well as ensuring all school pupils in Bassetlaw enjoy three new Olympic sport opportunities.

Council leader Coun Graham Oxby said the Bassetlaw Games was an excellent opportunity to showcase sporting talent and encourage people to try out new sports.

“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity for Bassetlaw residents of all ages to get involved in some kind of activity to commemorate the Olympic Games,” he said. “It’s also a marvellous opportunity for schools to get involved in sport and learn about games and sports that people didn’t even know exist.”

The programme’s steering committee has commissioned a series of logos for people to vote on to give the Bassetlaw Games a real identity of its own. Two people will be drawn at random from the Worksop and Retford area and win a T-shirt autographed by Sir Chris Hoy, Victoria Pendleton and other Olympic hopefuls donated by Adidas.

Members of the public can vote for their favourite logo at www.bassetlaw.gov.uk/logo – the closing date for entries is 14th October.