The Hampshire Games, organised by Sport Hampshire and Isle Wight, is a grassroots multi-sports competition for six to 19 year olds. It is one of the largest sports festivals of its kind in the country, seeing 3,000 pupils take part. This was the 13th anniversary of the event, which offers many youngsters their first taste of a large-scale sports competition. This year’s event saw 19 different sports competitions taking place over the two days with 165 young people from the borough competing. The event took place at the Aldershot Military Sports Facilities.
Hampshire Games 2011
Pupils from Dove House, Limington House and Brighton Hill Schools took part in the Parallel Games on Friday 10 June 2011. The following teams represented Basingstoke and Deane at the Youth Games on Saturday 11 June 2011:
Canoeing Year 4-10 team being organised by Basingstoke Canoe Club
Hockey 2 x Year 5 & 6 teams being organised by Basingstoke Hockey Club
Gymnastics Year 3 & 4 and Year 5 & 6 teams being organised by Sherfield School
Squash Year 5 & 6 and Year 7 & 8 teams being organised by Bounty Squash Club
Swimming Year 3-6 team being organised by Kim Chapman Swim School
Judo Under 12 team being organised by Summit School of Judo
Golf Under 19 team being organised by Sherfield Oaks Golf Club
The Basingstoke and Deane team celebrated an impressive haul of medals and awards. Dove House School's athletics, multi-ball skills and girls’ football teams were crowned county champions at the Parallel Games.
On Saturday (11 June), Basingstoke and Deane achieved three gold medals:
- The borough’s judo team were crowned champions thanks to the Summit School of Judo putting together and training a team for the first time.
- Bounty Squash Club put together two teams and saw one, made up of pupils from year seven and eight, winning and the other, made up of year five and six team, being runners up.
- Basingstoke Canoe Club’s team were victorious winning their competition, which was held on the Basingstoke Canal.
The borough's participants also enjoyed the opportunity of meeting Wenlock – one of the Olympic mascots.
The borough council’s Cabinet Member for Sport and Leisure Cllr Clive Sanders said: “Events such as the Hampshire Games, and the Olympic and Paralympic games will hopefully inspire young people to join some of our excellent local sports clubs.
“The borough is fortunate to have a wealth of committed volunteers and inspirational individuals and I want to take this opportunity to thank them for all the hard work they put in training our teams."
Involvement in the Hampshire Games forms part of the borough’s Olympic strategy. If you are interested in getting involved in activities to celebrate the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, please call 01256 844844 or email goingforgold@basingstoke.gov.uk.
