The views of sporting legend, politician and Bradford University Chancellor Imran Khan are spearheading a project by the Peace Museum for the 2012 London Olympics.

Mr Khan was interviewed by seven-year-old Mia Wilkinson to start the museum’s Vaulting Ambitions: Peace and Conflict in Sport.

The initiative will see a series of young people interviewing iconic sports people on how sport has been used historically to encourage peace across the world.

The meeting between Mr Khan and Mia, a pupil at St Augustine’s Primary School, Leeds, was set up by the University of Bradford and the Bradford-based Peace Museum.

Clive Barrett, museum chairman and honorary visiting fellow at the university, said: “Mia’s interview with Imran is a wonderful start for the Vaulting Ambitions series.

“The project is important because the links between sport and peace that it highlights are part of an almost forgotten heritage.

“Our research indicates that young people, in particular, are not aware of this history. Nor are they aware of the key historic role Britain has played in using sport to foster peace.

“Vaulting Ambitions will capture a wealth of stories relating to peace and sport from the Ancient Games onwards.

“Vaulting Ambitions will make a unique contribution to London 2012 by showing how sport and peace have an historic tradition of being linked together for good or ill.”

Mr Khan said: “It was a real pleasure to be interviewed by Mia. Her questions were thoughtful and thought-provoking and I am really encouraged by the fact that ways in which we might be able to find peaceful solutions to conflict are being addressed in a project like this involving the next generation.”

To watch the interview visit bit.ly/awGnzg.