PARTICIPANTS are gearing up to take part in the 17th Devon Youth Games event and this year, for the first time ever, teams from Cornwall will be involved, creating a step up towards the event developing into the South West Peninsula Games for 2017.

The Devon Youth Games, this year being held at Okehampton’s Simmons Park on July 3, is one of the biggest annual sports events in the county. This year ten additional teams from Cornwall will be taking part.

Around 2,000 young people aged eight to 18 are expected to compete in 12 sports for able bodied and disabled youngsters, including badminton, boccia, football, indoor athletics, gymnastics, hockey, kwik cricket, netball, tag rugby, street sports, tennis and triathlon.

Sponsored by Rotary International in the South West Peninsula, the games, provide an Olympic and Paralympic-type experience for thousands of youngsters on the day itself and in the lead up, as thousands more battle to earn selection for their district team in the weeks and months beforehand.

The Devon Youth Games, previously named Devon Games to Inspire, has recently been nominated for a major national UK award, the ‘MJ Local Government Awards’, which comes as a welcome achievement after the event was rescued from almost certain demise last year.

Chairman of the Devon Youth Games Trust John Coates said: ‘Due to a lack of funding there was a wide spread acceptance that the 2014 Devon Youth Games were the last ever. But following an incredible 2015 event and the rallying of councils, volunteers and Rotary in the South West, they were a massive success with 20 competitions, 1,000 youngsters and a million memories created in one incredible day.

‘It is little short of miraculous that we are now looking forward to this year’s games with more optimism than ever before, particularly with the addition of teams from Cornwall. It is an incredible event that touches tens of thousands of people in every community.

‘We have been grateful of the support from sponsors and partners so far and welcome any more parties interested in becoming backers, particularly in this Olympic year. Physical inactivity is one of the biggest health challenges facing us as a nation. It is so important that we give our children the opportunity to really enjoy sport and make it part of their lives now and in the future — few events do that quite as well as the Devon Youth Games.’