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WITH the 2008 Olympic Games just around the corner, and the 2012 Olympics four short years away, potential future Great Britain rowers will be determined to gain gold at the annual Birmingham Schools Indoor Rowing Championship. Following on from the success of last years event the Birmingham Schools Rowing Association the new Birmingham Competition Management Team, Concept 2 and the Amateur Rowing Association are organising the indoor rowing event with the aim of making it the biggest school indoor rowing event in the country. Councillor Les Lawrence, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Families at Birmingham City Council, said: "Indoor rowing is a great way for young people to keep active, and also develop team building skills, as it is a sport that requires hard work and dedication to improve on personal best timings. "The Birmingham Schools Indoor Rowing championship is getting bigger and better every year, with more pupils being introduced to indoor rowing thanks to the commitment of schools working with the School Sport Partnerships across the city, and I would like to congratulate all those young people who are taking part, and helping themselves to get fitter." Over 100 teams from schools all over Birmingham have entered creating a high quality competition experience for over 500 children representing Year 6 to Year 13 (pupils aged 10-18). The event has been planned by the Birmingham Competition Management team as part of a number of activities for National School Sports Week, taking place this week. Nechells Community Sports Centre have again agreed to host the event, building on their previous support of the sport and the event, which two years ago featured a visit to Birmingham from former Olympic rowing champion Sir Steve Redgrave. The event will run from 10.00am until 3.00pm, and is providing opportunities for teams of four to race for 2,000 metres, with relay style changes every 30 seconds. For the first time individuals will be able to race where schools are unable to field a team of four. This event has been in run in conjunction with support from the eleven School Sports Partnerships in Birmingham. This event is also part of the joint work carried out by the Birmingham Competition Management Team and the Birmingham City Council events team to create links from grass roots performance to elite performance. |
