Over 2,500 young people from Year 3 – Year 10 competed in the 2016 Hampshire Games at Aldershot.

The event, part of the School Games initiative, saw children compete across a range of sports including athletics, basketball, boccia, football, gymnastics, hockey, netball, new age kurling, rounders, swimming, tag rugby, tennis, tri-golf, volleyball and Panathlon at the Military Facilities.

In attendance at the School Games opening ceremony was 2008 Olympic Gold medal winning sailor Pippa Wilson.

The School Games is a unique opportunity to motivate and inspire millions of young people across the country to take part in more competitive school sport.

The Games are designed to build on the magic of London 2012 to enable every school and child to participate in competitive sport, including meaningful opportunities for disabled youngsters.

The Games is backed by National Lottery funding through Sport England.

It is fully inclusive and increases the opportunities for young people to take part in sport throughout the year; offering some young people their first taste of county-wide competition.

The Games also provided a Challenge Zone for young people and spectators to try various different activities including Hampshire Squash, Hampshire Cricket speed bowling net, Smoothie bike, Surrey Scorchers Basketball, command tasks and Quob stables mechanical horse.

Councillor Peter Edgar, Hampshire County Council’s Executive Member for Education, said: “It’s great to see young people getting so much enjoyment out of sport, as well as all the benefits to their confidence, their team work skills and of course their health.

“The County Council is glad to support this excellent event.”

Wilson said: “Having represented Britain at major events like the Olympics and World Championships, I feel it is really important for me to give something back to sport because it has given me so much.

“That is why I love being a Sport England Sporting Champion and working with young people.

“It was fantastic to see so many young people participating.”

The School Games is supported by a range of partners including the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Youth Sport Trust, Department of Health, Department for Education and is backed by National Lottery funding through Sport England.

Over £128m of Lottery and Government funding is being invested to support the School Games.

Picture special: See pages 26/27.