Sport scheme encourages competition

Competitive sport in schools is "a very good thing", Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt said as he launched a new Olympic and Paralympic-style sports initiative.

Michael Gove to announce plans to revive competitive sport in schools with Olympics style contest Michael Gove to announce plans to revive competitive sport in schools with Olympics-style contest [PA]

He said: "We have got to completely get rid of this myth that competitive sport is bad for children. We have to realise that sport is a good thing.

"It does not damage your self-esteem, it helps to strengthen your self-esteem because sport is often about picking yourself up - which is what I guess we are doing now (after England's World Cup exit)."

Up to £10 million of lottery funding, distributed by Sport England, will create a new sports league structure for primary and secondary schools, with the first national final to be held in the run up to the London 2012 Games.

Schools in England will compete against each other in leagues at a local level from 2011, with winning athletes and teams qualifying for up to 60 county finals. The most talented young athletes will then be picked for the national finals.

Schools will also be urged to host in-house Olympic-style sports days so that children of all abilities have the chance to compete. A Paralympic-style element will be included at every level of the competition.

British Olympic Association chair Lord Moynihan predicted that it will "revolutionise" school sport and even help identify future top-level sporting talent.

He said: "The announcement by government will revolutionise school sport throughout the country. Competitive sport combined with Sport for All are the two main objectives of the BOA and if we energise young people behind competitive sport we will leave a lasting legacy from London 2012."

The "real success" of the competition will not be in 2012 but in the years that follow as part of a legacy to help increase participation, Mr Hunt said.

Its benefits will not just be on the field of play or the chance to produce future champions but to get children striving to improve themselves, working towards a series of rules and appreciating the values of teamwork along with success and failure, Mr Hunt said.

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