Keen athletes from all across the Midlands are going for gold in this weekend’s 30th English Disabled Sports Team Championships, supported by their local Rotary clubs. Over 250 athletes are taking part in the games on 12th and 13th November at the Xcel Leisure Centre, Coventry.
Last year’s winners from South Yorkshire and Lincolnshire are determined to defend their title but know that the other eight teams are ready for battle.
Nine teams are taking part in a range of disciplines including New Age kurling, table tennis, table-tennis for those with learning disabilities, rifle shooting, boccia team, boccia individual, darts, male weight lifting, female weight lifting, pitstop, swimming, triathlon and the slalom.
The English Disabled Sports Team Championships have been organised and sponsored by the five Rotary clubs in Coventry for 30 years and participating teams are supported by clubs across England.
Event organiser Ron Gibbs, Rotary Club of Coventry Jubilee, says the championships have the winning formula: “We have now turned 30 years old, which just proves how popular and how important this event is. The aim of the championships is to promote team spirit and achievement. The most important thing is the taking part, the true Olympian ideal! We also make it a prerequisite in the competition that each team has at least two competitors under the age of 16 years old in a bid to encourage sports clubs for the disabled to do more to develop young athletes.”
“This is what Rotary is about, getting people involved and improving the lives of others. We do this because we love being part of communities and giving our time to help others.”
Supporting Rotary clubs and Rotaract raise over £12,000 through event sponsorship and donations to put the event on with clubs also providing the financial support for travel and accommodation and accompany the competing teams.
The nine teams taking part are from Avon, Coventry, Gloucestershire, Hucknall, Leicester, Rugby, South Yorkshire & Lincolnshire, Wakefield, Warwickshire.
