SPORTS - Dec 06 archive

Over the past few months, work in Kent sport in relation to the Olympic and Paralympic Games includes the following. Further details on any of the activities can be sought from Kent County Council’s Sports Development Unit on 01622 605054 or 01622 605055.

Detailed discussions on a Kent Youth Games for 2008 and 2010 continue. These Games will be led by Kent County Council’s Education team, and by KCC’s Sports Development Unit, in close collaboration with wider county partners.
Kent County Council has published its final `Towards 2010` document, which sets the political priorities for the County Council for the next four years. A number of sports related priorities are identified within Towards 2010, including activities that relate to developing top performers for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The Kent Sports Development Unit is an agreed partner of the Grand National Archery Society for the Archery World Cup event in August 2007 (31 July – 4 August). Through hosting this event at the Duke of York’s Military School in Dover, it is hoped that a Pre-Games Training Camp and designation for Kent as national centre for Archery Development will follow. Lord Sebastian Coe is the Patron of the event.
An event was held on 26 September to allocate further grants from the Kent Paralympics Fund to potential Paralympians, using resources from the Denne Charitable Trust, which helps with equipment and costs. Six disabled athletes were successful ; Alastair McKean (rowing), Darren Leach (swimming), Emma Kent (Equestrian), Alexandra Adams (swimming), William Bayley (table tennis) and Michael Cogswell (sailing).
Work on logging potential Pre-Games Training Camps in Kent continues. Deadline is end of January 2007.
Next Sectoral Task Group meeting is convened for 14 December 2006 to address Pre-Games Training Camps in particular.
Work has been carried out to pave the way for a World Handcrank Cycling event to be held in East Kent prior to the Tour de France in July 2007.
International Trampolining events were held in Gillingham in October and November.
Discussions have been held with the London Borough of Newham regarding their ‘Sports Academy’ concept and whether something similar should be developed in Kent.
Discussions have been held with a Sports Marketing company regarding raising commercial funds for Kent’s promising young performers.
Three new ‘Disability Associate Officers’ have been appointed by the Kent Sports Development Unit with remit to find and develop talent for the 2012 Paralympics. The three sports covered are adaptive rowing, judo, and table tennis
An agreement has been made with the Hop farm that the facilities can be recognised as a ‘centre for talent identification’, with selection events held in a number of sports.
Kent had one winner at the UK School Sport Games held in Glasgow in September: Alexandra Adams. She came 1st in the women’s 100m MD Backstroke.
The Kent FANS Scheme has been re-launched. The scheme gives free access to National level sportspeople to 50 sports and leisure centres throughout the County for training at off-peak times. New benefits have been added to the scheme, including discounts on equipment and clothing purchase and physiotherapy.