More than 960 children aged between 3 and 14 brought the spirit of sportsmanship alive during the Kidz Ultimate Challenge (KUC) Sports Day competitions on 2 July in Birmingham and 16 July in London.
The KUC is a year-long, multifaceted child development programme, one of the highlights of which is the grand sports day that was held at Tudor Grange Leisure Centre in Birmingham and Allianz Park, London – home of the European Rugby Union champions Saracens.
The event was organised by the BAPS Children’s Forum with the aim of encouraging sporting awareness and enthusing the children ahead of the Olympic Games in Brazil. The team of organisers had been gearing up for the event for several months, which saw the children compete in various events, including track races, the long jump and high jump, an obstacle course, and netball and football penalty shootouts.
Kiran Patel, one of the lead volunteers for the event, explained, “We wanted the children to take an active interest in sport in a fun way. It’s really rewarding to see how encouraged they are to keep fit and healthy as well as work in teams for a common goal.”
Over 200 prizes were awarded to individuals and teams across the country. Gold-medal winner Vihaan Bankley, aged 14, said, “I didn’t think I could win, but I remembered the motivation and positive words that the mentors and volunteers had given me. I’m delighted to win.”
