South Yorkshire athletes celebrate Paralympic Day

Some of South Yorkshire’s 2012 hopefuls were on their marks to celebrate International Paralympic Day.

Victoria Bromley and Adam Thompson, part of the British Table Tennis Association for the Disabled, hosted a special demonstration at their training base – the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield (EISS).

They were joined at the world-class Sheffield International Venues (SIV) facility by Rotherham cyclist, Dominic Hurley.

Dominic, 38, who lives in Dalton, Rotherham, said: “It is really exciting that the Paralympics is being recognised in this way with a whole day of celebrations across the country.”

Class 11 table tennis players Victoria, 25, and Adam, 23, are preparing for the European Championships, in Croatia, next month.

Victoria said: “There is so much excitement about 2012 and it is great to celebrate with an event like this bringing together athletes from other sports who are also training for the Paralympics.”

International Paralympic Day is being celebrated across the UK today (Thursday, September 8) before tickets for the London 2012 Paralympic Games are launched tomorrow, Friday, September 9.

In the capital, a full day of activity is taking in Trafalgar Square giving the public a chance to find out about each of the 20 sports to take place at the London Paralympics.

Sheffield recently celebrated one year to go until the 2012 Paralympic Games by hosting an international training camp for the Canadian men’s and women’s wheelchair basketball teams at EISS.

The venue provides a training base for many of the GB wheelchair basketball squad as well as GB Paralympic boccia players and fencer Craig McCann.

Paul Hudson, general manager of EIS Sheffield, which is operated by Sheffield International Venues (SIV), said: “It is great to kick off ticket sales for the Paralympics with this celebration of local sporting talent at EISS. The city is home to many athletes training day in day out for the Paralympics.”

Councillor Helen Mirfin-Boukouris, Sheffield City Council’s Cabinet Member for Business, Jobs and Growth, said: “Sheffield is home to many GB Paralympians, as well as several international Paralympic teams using our outstanding facilities to train in advance of the London 2012 Games. I am sure the people will of Sheffield will join me in getting behind all these athletes to offer them our full support for next year.”

Notes:

• Tickets for the Paralympic Games in 2012 will go on sale on September 9, with applications open until September 26 2011. Sports fans can register their interest in 2012 Paralympic tickets at www.tickets.london2012.com before they go on sale.

• EIS Sheffield is one of 17 sports, leisure and entertainment facilities that make up SIV’s portfolio, one of the largest concentrations of diverse international and community sports venues in Europe.

• The state-of-the-art venue boasts superb facilities for all sporting occasions, ages and abilities. It includes an indoor athletics arena plus performance areas for 10 of the 26 Olympic sports – boxing, judo, table tennis, volleyball, netball, handball, basketball, badminton, fencing and athletics

Sheffield – Lighting the Flame for Sport

‘Sheffield – Lighting the Flame for Sport’ is a City partnership led by Sheffield City Council to maximise the benefits and opportunities around the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games for everyone in Sheffield. Go to http://www.Sheffield-lightingtheflame.com/ to find out more information, and to sign up to the newsletter.

• Sheffield hosts four GB Olympic sports (boxing, table tennis, volleyball and diving) and one Paralympic sport (table tennis), as well as numerous individual athletes such as Jessica Ennis

• Sheffield has also signed USA Diving, Brazil Judo and the Serbian Olympic committees for Pre Games Training camps. They will generate in excess of £250,000 of economic benefit for the city. We are talking to other sports from USA, Brazil and Canada

• The additional major sports events attracted to the city as a direct result of London 2012 prior to the games have benefitted the city financially. This year’s major Sports Events Programme is worth £6 million alone.