OVER 65 young athletes from Hampshire have been selected to compete in a national competition, making the county with the second highest number of pupils attending.

The 2021 School Games National Finals will take place at Loughborough University from September 2 to 5 and is the first major multi-sport event for talented young athletes across the UK.

The event will celebrate the athletes’ achievements in working hard to maintain training and motivation over the last year and a half of restrictions.

Over 1,300 athletes will compete across 10 sports at the School Games, four of which include disability disciplines. The event will give many young people, across a variety of different sports, an experience of high-level competition in a multi-sport environment similar to an Olympic or Paralympic Games.

The Hampshire-based young athletes will be following in the footsteps of some of Britain’s biggest sporting stars who have competed at the event before going on to senior international success.

Alumni who competed at Tokyo 2020 include Adam Peaty, Kathleen Dawson, Alex Yee, Amelie Morgan, and more!

At the event the athletes will experience the excitement of competing at the highest level. They will live in a dedicated Athletes’ Village on the Loughborough University campus, take part in the School Games ceremony, and have their performance livestreamed for spectators via the Youth Sport Trust YouTube channel.

Ali Oliver, chief executive officer of the Youth Sport Trust, said: “The School Games National Finals provide a great experience for talented young athletes.

“Competitors get a real taste of what it’s like to be part of a multi-sport world-class sporting event at the amazing venues of Loughborough University. Given the competitors have endured a tough challenge to maintain their training and motivation over the last year, it’s fantastic to see them back! We are so excited to celebrate the athletes’ incredible achievements during a weekend of sport.”

The 2021 School Games National Finals is supported by National Lottery funding from Sport England and is delivered by the Youth Sport Trust.