LOCAL MSPs BACK FIFE OLYMPIAD
Published date : 07 Jul 2017
JENNY GILRUTH & DAVID TORRANCE SUPPORT “TEAM FIFE” COMPETITORS IN GERMANY
Jenny Gilruth MSP and David Torrance MSP have teamed up at a visit to the Fife Olympiad volleyball team at a training session in Kirkcaldy, ahead of the Olympiad tournament in Boblingen later this month.
The Fife Olympiad team heads to one of Boblingen’s twin towns every three years for the Olympiad tournament. The international sporting contest originates from Glenrothes’ twin-town arrangement with Boblingen, and sees local young people compete against others from across the six other twin towns. Around 1,500 are expected to compete in total.
A total of 167 competitors from schools across Fife will be taking part in sports including athletics, badminton, basketball, football, karate, judo, tennis, swimming and volleyball. The team is supported by local PE teachers and local Fife sports clubs.
Jenny Gilruth, MSP for Mid Fife & Glenrothes, and David Torrance, MSP for Kirkcaldy, visited the volleyball team at a training session in St Andrews High School on Thursday morning. The local MSPs spoke to the participants and coaches about the tournament, as well as taking part in some volleyball themselves.
Commenting, Jenny Gilruth MSP said: “The Fife Olympiad volleyball team are a genuinely inspiring group of young people from all across the Kingdom. The talent on display is impressive and if the standard is this high in Germany, then it’s going to be a great year for team Fife!
“I’m delighted that this year’s event will take place in Boblingen. The Olympiad started out from Glenrothes’ twin-town arrangement with Boblingen, so this is a fantastic opportunity to put the spotlight on our twin-town relationship while giving Fife’s young people a chance to shine. I’m wishing the Fife Olympiad teams every success.”
David Torrance MSP said: “I am hugely impressed by the dedication of those volunteers bringing this together. The hours of work put into this cannot be overstated, and it’s a testament to the goodwill of local people that the team can raise the necessary funds for the tournament every three years.
“The team is made up local students, but they’ll be representing all of Scotland abroad. The Olympiad is a great way to promote Fife and Scotland on the international scene.”
Ellen Ranklin, an S4 pupil from Lochgelly High School and a competitor in the volleyball team, said: “I’m looking forward to going to the competition and playing in that different kind of setting. We’re all friends here and we’re not used to playing against people that we don’t know so it’s going to be fun to go and play against people who are obviously very serious about it.”
In a challenge to the competing teams, she added: “Scotland’s coming for you!”
John Vaughan, Chair of Fife Olympiad, said: “I’m very pleased to say that we’ve now got a complete team. We are expecting it to be a fantastic event with all the other twin towns that Boblingen is twinned with.”
The competitors will be joined in Germany by 24 coaches, the Olympiad committee, 13 officials including a Doctor and a Paramedic, and representatives from Active Schools – along with Fife Provost Jim Leishman. In total, a delegation of 204 people will be heading to Germany to see the Fife team compete.
The Olympiad event will take place in Boblingen, Germany from July 26th to July 31st 2017.
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
The first Olympiad took place in Glenrothes in 1977. It has since been held in Glenrothes in 1984 and 2003.
Boblingen’s twin towns include Glenrothes, Pontoise (France), Sittard-Geleen (Netherlands), Bergama (Turkey), Krems an der Donau (Austria), Alba (Italy) and Sommerda (Germany). The Olympiad rotates between these venues.
For more information, please visit:
http://www.kcfsportscouncil.co.uk/members-list/fife-olympiad-scio/
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