Last week the London Youth Games celebrated London’s sporting talent at their annual awards. The event highlights the achievements of London Youth Games participants past and present as well as the volunteers who make the Games possible.
2015 was a year to celebrate women’s success in sport. Women’s football has had a fantastic year with the Lionesses achieving the best finish by an England Football team at a World Cup since Bobby Moore lifted the Jules Rimet in 1966.
Girls’ Football has been a real success story for the London Youth Games and more than a quarter of the squad that went to Canada competed at the Games. On Thursday evening two of them were inducted into The Balfour Beatty London Youth Games Hall of Fame: Siobhan Chamberlain and Lianne Sanderson.
Alex Scott, also a member of the squad from Canada, and Rachel Yankey, the most capped ever England player, beating even Peter Shilton, were both also asked to the stage to receive a special award recognising the outstanding contribution of London Youth Games alumni to women’s football in England.
Other recent inductees into the Hall of Fame include double Olympic champion Mo Farah, quadruple Paralympic champion David Weir and Tour de France winner Sir Bradley Wiggins.
Representatives from the 33 London boroughs were also awarded prizes at the annual awards evening. The prestigious ceremony took place at The Globe Theatre and was presented by Britain’s number 1 Alpine Skier, Chemmy Alcott and BBC Sports presenter, Mike Bushell.
The annual occasion saw former competitors who have gone on to achieve sporting success at the highest level officially inducted into the Hall of Fame alongside awards for the individuals and organisations who have contributed to the huge success of this year’s Balfour Beatty London Youth Games.
Among the crowd of around 280 were senior London and UK politicians, London’s star athletes, representatives of London boroughs and representatives of sporting governing bodies.
London Youth Games Chairman Mark Campbell said: “The Hall of Fame and Annual Awards evening is an opportunity to celebrate and reflect on the incredible achievements of all those associated with the Games, whether they are this year’s record number of 136, 427 participants or those who have participated in the past and gone on to elite success. The Games continues to help all young people who participate to develop vital life skills in order to achieve their full potential.”
“Congratulations to all the individuals and organisations who have made the 2015 London Youth Games the greatest ever, particularly to those shortlisted for awards for their unique contribution to all of our successes.”
The Balfour Beatty London Youth Games is Europe’s largest annual youth sports event. This year the event featured over 136,000 participants from 33 London boroughs taking part in 33 different sports. Wandsworth collected the Jubilee Trophy as the overall winning borough this year.
