School to host handover of the paralympic torch
The handover of the Paralympic Games from Bejing to London 2012 will be marked by a special celebration event at a Nuneaton school this week.
Alderman Smith School and Sport College on Radnor Drive in Nuneaton is hosting the event on Wednesday 17 September at which the handover ceremony in Bejing will be televised. Local athletes, paralympians, councillors and council representatives will be lending their support.
The event, organised by Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership for the 2012 Olympic Games will be opened by former 5000 metre world record holder and West Midland’s own David Moorcroft. His welcome will be followed by a wheelchair basketball match between Coventry and Stratford-upon-Avon with guests being offered the opportunity to try out the sport.
Warwickshire paralympic equestrian and Atlanta 1996 silver and gold medal winner Liz Stone will then take to the stage to speak of her experiences of being a paralympian.
The event will also launch the 2012 page of the Warwickshire website and to commemorate the handover, a flag will be raised whilst the ceremony in Bejing is played to guests.
The 2012 games will not only be an opportunity for Warwickshire athletes to triumph but will also increase tourism in the county. County Councillor Chris Saint is Warwickshire’s Portfolio Holder for Economic Development but also chairs the West Midlands Leadership Group for the 2012 Games. The group has been set up to bring the benefits of London 2012 to the region and recognises the part that Warwickshire and the West Midlands have to play alongside other areas.
Councillor Saint said: “In recent years the profile of paralympic sport has soared, and I am pleased to see so much support for the games in Warwickshire. Celebrating the handover is a great way to engage youngsters in Warwickshire with disabilities into sport to celebrate our modern day champions.
“But it is not just athletes that can benefit from the games in 2012. Hundreds of thousands of tourists will be coming to London for the events and many of those will be visiting other places around the country. To make the most of this opportunity Warwickshire is already gearing itself up now so that it is ready to attract people away from the Capital and to create an impression on visitors from across the world.”