OVER 1,000 young people competed against each other in a major sporting event involving dozens of Bradford schools yesterday.

Over 40 schools across the district, both primary and secondary, took part in the Bradford School Games, held at University Academy Keighley, competing in sports as varied as athletics, cycling, wheelchair basketball, netball and new age Kurling.

Partly inspired by the upcoming Rio Olympics, the event was set up by the National School Games Programme - set up to motivate and inspire young people across the country to take part in more competitive school sport.

In February schools took part in a smaller, Winter version of the games, based at indoor facilities in the University of Bradford.

But yesterday saw the athletic youngsters take part in a series of contests that made use of the academy’s outdoor sports facilities.

The games had been preceded by a “baton relay” involving the different schools taking part. Schools were invited to use the baton to promote the school games values; passion, determination, honesty, team work, respect and self-belief in their schools as well as to celebrate sport and physical activity. The baton was passed around 43 schools, beginning at Fearnville Primary School and ending at Burley Oaks Primary, the school that brought the baton to the games yesterday. It travelled 70 miles in five weeks.

Yesterday’s event began with an opening ceremony attended by sporting champion Chris Kirk, Great Britain Long Jumper and current BUCS indoor and outdoor long jump record holder.

Brian Brooks, based at Beckfoot School in Bingley and one of five organisers of the event, said the day had proved a success, and it was likely to be repeated next year.

He said: “We had just over 1,000 students take part over the day, and about 700 take part in the opening ceremony.

“For almost all the young people it will be the biggest competition they have been involved in.

“It is the culmination of a year’s work and the atmosphere has been amazing all day. There has been a great build up to it and the baton relay got the schools really excited about it. It was our version of the Olympic torch. It really raised the profile of the day.

“There were about 120 schools taking part in the qualifying events to get here today.

Hopefully it will go on to be just as successful next year.”

The most successful young athletes will go pupils will be selected to represent Bradford in the West Yorkshire Summer Games on July 5 at Leeds Beckett University.

The games are a partnership between the schools, local clubs and the national bodies for each sport.