Team Guildford Celebrates Sporting Success At 2017 Specsavers Surrey Youth Games

Published on: 19 Jun, 2017
Updated on: 20 Jun, 2017

It has been another successful year for Team Guildford at the Specsavers Surrey Youth Games 2017.

More than 300 young people and sports teams from across the borough took part in the annual event on Saturday and Sunday, June 17 and 18, held at the Surrey Sports Park.

There was success for Team Guildford’s boxers at the Supersavers Surrey Youth Games 2017.

This year’s games proved to be particularly successful for Guildford’s boxing team. Guildford was the only borough to enter two teams into the event, enabling 14 young boxers to take part.

The overall team took silver in the non-contact skills showcase event. The team went through to the contact event, and after a series of bouts against Woking, Runnymede, Spelthorne, Waverley and Epsom and Ewell, they were crowned gold medallists.

Team Guildford’s lacrosse gold medal winners with the mayor and mayoress, lead councillors and the managing director of Guildford Borough Council, plus Tony Gorham, the chairman of Sport Guildford, the local sports council (white T-shirt).

Team Guildford also took gold in the lacrosse event The team fought hard in the final against Epsom and Ewell. They had only played together for six weeks leading up to the games and consisted of young people from local secondary schools who trained with Guildford Gators Lacrosse Club.

Team Guildford play Runnymede at lacrosse.

Individual gold medals were achieved in both the boys and girls senior judo events, and Team Guildford was also awarded silver medals in the swimming event.

Guildford’s return to the touch rugby event this year saw bronze medals for the U10s team and fourth place for the U12s.

This year saw an increase in the number of events that Team Guildford entered – being represented in all sports across 23 of the 27 events. This included three new extra teams in U10 and U12 girls rugby and girls hockey.

This increase has enabled more young people to experience their first competitive sporting event as part of Team Guildford. As part of the selection process, more than 300 young people from Guildford participated in the free local sports training sessions during the six-week lead up to the games weekend and provided by Guildford Borough Council.

The games is the largest annual youth sports festival in the county, with more than 2,000 competitors taking part in the weekend event. Eleven districts and boroughs in Surrey entered teams.

Active Surrey, the event organiser, has a five-year sponsorship deal with Specsavers. All 11 districts and boroughs have committed to the games for this five-year period.

Guildford Borough Councillor, Iseult Roche, lead for community, health and sport, said: “It’s wonderful to see our young people doing so well at the Surrey Youth Games.

“Staying active and healthy is so important throughout life, and it’s great to see so many young people getting involved.

“The games provide the perfect opportunity to recognise Guildford’s vibrant sporting community and celebrate their achievements together. The games are also the first opportunity for some of the young people to enter into competitive sport.”

For more information about Guildford’s sport development strategy, visit www.guildford.gov.uk/sport