Hackney schools Paralympic challenge

Pupils of all abilities in sports competition.

Hackney was awash with sporting talent when thousands of youngsters tried their hand at a range of disabled sports.

Around 2,000 pupils from Olympic host boroughs Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Newham and Greenwich, descended on the area to take part in the Learning Trust’s School Sports Championship.

Paralympic sports such as wheelchair basketball, sailing, swimming and football were all on offer at three sites in Clissold Leisure Centre, Stoke Newington High School and West Reservoir.

Each primary school teams had at least five children with special educational needs while teams from secondary schools comprised of fifteen children from a mainstream secondary school, three of whom have special educational needs.

Ten pupils from also came from each special school at the event which runs from Monday 11 to Friday October 15 and is designed to make physical education inclusive.

Seb Coe, Chair of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, said: “The Schools Sport Championship is a fantastic way to raise awareness of disability sport in schools and it’s exciting to see so many children taking part.

“We want to inspire and educate young people about Paralympic sports and this event will show that they can be enjoyed by anyone, regardless of their ability.

“I’d like to thank Hackney for their initiative on inclusive sport and for giving everyone the chance to try out something new.”