£55,000 Welsh Government funding to secure Gemau Cymru 2016

The Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism, Ken Skates has announced £55,000 Welsh Government funding to support this year’s Gemau Cymru.

Gemau Cymru is a bilingual sport event for young talented athletes in Wales, organised by Urdd Gobaith Cymru.

Its aim is to enhance the performance pathway of Olympic, Commonwealth and Paralympic sports by providing young people with an opportunity to compete in a high level, national, multi-sport event at some of Wales’ best facilities.

The funding will be provided for Gemau Cymru via Sport Wales, who have also agreed to contribute £60,000 to the event.

Announcing the funding, the Deputy Minister said:

“I am pleased we are able to support Gemau Cymru again this year. This is a great event, which provides young people with invaluable experience of taking part in a high-level multi-sport competition.

“Providing such opportunities is vital if we are to support the development of more world-class athletes in Wales and prepare them for the future by giving them a Commonwealth Games style experience. Gemau Cymru is also valuable in making sure young people have a positive sporting experience, so that they become hooked on sport for life.”

The Chief Executive of Sport Wales, Sarah Powell said:

“We’re delighted to be supporting Gemau Cymru once again. Since its inception Gemau Cymru is growing into a key date in the Welsh sporting calendar. It’s a chance for future Welsh talent to bilingually experience what it’s like to compete in a multi-sport environment at a young age and provides a taste of the crowds, media attention and opening ceremonies that our top athletes experience when competing on the global stage.

“However it’s not just about the competitors, as the event brings with it a wealth of volunteering opportunities. When we look at the future of Welsh sport we not only have to ensure we’re developing talent but also the skilled and passionate workforce that supports this talent and make big sporting events such as last year’s Rugby World Cup and this year’s World Half Marathon possible here in Wales.”

Gary Lewis, Director of the Urdd Sports:

“We welcome the Welsh Government’s announcement to continue supporting Gemau Cymru.  It is an event that is developing annually and is going from strength to strength.  It is an important weekend in young Welsh athletes’ diary and our hope is that it paves the way for them to compete on an international level in future.”

Since its inception in 2011, Gemau Cymru has provided a performance pathway for many athletes who have gone on to represent Wales at international competition. They include athletes that competed in Athletics and Gymnastics at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014 and professional rugby players who have played in the World 7’s Series.

During the 2015 games, 1030 competitors took part in nine different sports over the weekend.