Mark Hunter welcomes sponsorship of London Youth Games Regatta

From London Youth Games:  

Thames Water and London Youth Games (LYG) Ltd are delighted to announce that the former is to be title sponsor of the LYG Regatta, 13th June 2009.

The five year sponsorship deal will run from 2009 to 2013 and secures the permanent return of the Regatta to the Games after an absence of seven years. It follows Thames Water’s sponsorship of a successful pilot Regatta in 2008, which saw over 400 young Londoners competing in four disciplines: sailing, rowing, kayaking slalom and canoe sprint.

This year, LYG Ltd aims to increase participation in the Regatta by working closely with its partners to promote rowing, sailing and kayaking opportunities across London.  

Speaking about the deal David Owens, Chief Executive of Thames Water, said: “The London Youth Games provides a great opportunity for the capital’s young people to get involved in activities that are both enjoyable and good for their health.”

“We are extremely pleased to be able to help make the Regatta a permanent feature at the Games.  Our world-class tap water will refresh the athletes, volunteers and officials – and we may even discover some future Olympians to represent Britain in the 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Games.”

Commenting on the return of the Regatta, former LYG competitor and Olympic gold medallist Mark Hunter said:  “I have extremely fond memories of competing at the London Youth Games for Havering and I’m really glad to see the permanent return of the Regatta. Not only will it inspire more of the Capital’s youngsters to become involved in the sport, it will also provide the opportunity to experience a high quality sports competition.”

Russell Findlay, Chief Executive of LYG Ltd, said: “I’d like to thank Thames Water for sponsoring the Regatta. This support will go a long way to helping us achieve our vision of doubling participation in the Games to 50,000 by 2012.”

The Thames Water Regatta, part of the Balfour Beatty London Youth Games, will take place on 13th June at the Royal Victoria Docks and the London Regatta Centre. The Games are a unique season of events at the heart of youth sport in the Capital, involving all 33 London Boroughs and 26 National Governing Bodies. They give young Londoners the opportunity to discover and achieve their sporting potential in a high quality sports environment.

For  more information go to www.londonyouthgames.org