Image

Wimbledon champion to join disabled young people at Decathlon TOP Sportsability Festival

Wimbledon Wheelchair Tennis Champion Jayant Mistry is to join disabled young people at Derbyshire’s first county-wide Decathlon TOP Sportsability Festival.

The event – which will give disabled young people the chance to take part in a range of inclusive activities – will be staged at Moorways Sports Centre in Derby on Thursday, March 13.

Supported by Decathlon Superstores with funding from the Youth Sport Trust, the aim of the event is to encourage disabled young people to take part in appropriate community-based sport.

Around 80 young people will attend, from schools within seven School Sports Partnerships covering Derby East, Derby West, Amber Valley, Erewash, North East Derbyshire, Bolsover and Chesterfield.

They will have the chance to take part in two TOP Sportsability sports sessions in the morning, choosing from floor lacrosse, boccia, table cricket, T-ball and goal ball.

An awards ceremony will then be held over lunch, with medals and certificates presented by Jayant Mistry, the holder of 68 international career titles including Wimbledon Doubles and NEC Doubles Masters (World Championships) in 2005.

A number of taster sessions will also be held in the afternoon, including football and wheelchair basketball, all of which will be led by community providers, and participants will also be able to find out more information about adapted community sports clubs in their area.

Derby East Partnership Development Manager Andy Cunningham said: “The Decathlon TOP Sportsability event is a great advert for partnership working.

“Utilising Youth Sport Trust funding, School Sport Partnerships, Derbyshire Sport, Sports Development Teams, National Governing Bodies and community providers from across Derbyshire have joined forces to provide disabled young people with an opportunity to take part in a variety of adapted sports and activities.

“Ultimately, the day is about participation in physical activity but if we can encourage some of the young people to access community sport and then to represent their region or their country in disability sport then the Decathlon TOP Sportsability event will have been a real success.”