AN ILLUSTRATOR and a graphic designer have created winning designs for Olympics-themed 50p coins in a national competition.

Emma Kelly of Amhurst Park, Stoke Newington designed the coin for badminton and Pravin Dewdhory of Tudor Road, South Hackney, was responsible for a 50p for shooting.

Their coins were among the chosen 29 depicting the 29 Olympic and Paralympic sports to be contested in London 2012 and were picked out from 30,000 submitted entries.

Speaking about her winning design, Ms Kelly, 44, said: “I am delighted.

“It makes me proud and excited to have designed a coin to celebrate the Olympic Games coming to London in 2012.”

Mr Dewdhory, 35, said: “Knowing that I will be joining other winners from around the United Kingdom to become part of British coinage history for the London 2012 Olympics is a great achievement for everyone involved.”

Like every UK coin in use today, their designs had to obtain final approval from the Treasury and the Queen.

The 29 coin designs will start entering circulation from this month with a total of up to 87 million Sporting 50p being released, 3 million of each design.