Glasgow may have had the Commonwealth Games this year but Edinburgh is getting ready for the annual action-packed Festival of Sport which kicks off in the Capital next weekend, showcasing a huge variety of sport and physical activity opportunities between 20 September-5 October 2014.
A host of free events will run during the two week festival across Edinburgh, including taster sessions, demonstrations and competitions to encourage people of all ages to discover the benefits of an active lifestyle.
Now in its sixth year, the 2014 programme has been designed to embrace the summer buzz of the Commonwealth Games and appeal to all age groups, activity levels and abilities.
Launching on the first day of the Beach Volleyball Continental Cup on Portobello Beach – the Festival will kick off with a selection of free activities on the beach to celebrate Portobello paving the path to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
Building on the success of previous years, the Council is working to drive interest and membership of local clubs. A Club and Coach Development Workshop Series will also be delivered as part of this year’s Festival, featuring workshops designed to support club volunteers and coaches.
Coaching highlights include a one-of-a-kind seminar with Werner Kern, world renowned coach for Germany’s Bayern Munich Football Club. Kern will address a host of football industry professionals – including representatives from Edinburgh’s Hibernian and Hearts of Midlothian Football Clubs – about nurturing young sporting talent.
This event is being held in partnership with the Scottish Football Association and forms part of Edinburgh’s 60th anniversary celebrations of being twinned with Munich.
The City’s Festival and Events Champion, Councillor Steve Cardownie, expects the excitement of this summer’s Commonwealth Games to create an extra buzz around the Festival.
He said: “I fully expect this year’s festival to prove the excitement of the Commonwealth Games has really boosted interest and participation in sport and physical activity in Edinburgh.
“The Festival of Sport is an important part of the Council’s legacy programme, and this year’s programme looks set to be another great year with so many free local opportunities on offer for everyone to take part.
“It is especially exciting to be marking the launch by supporting a world sporting debut for Portobello Beach, as it plays host to the qualifying rounds for the upcoming Beach Volleyball event as part of the Olympic Games in Rio in 2016.”
As an integral part of the Activcity year-round programme, the 2014 Festival encourages residents and visitors to have a more active and healthy lifestyle. The key partners in delivering the event include Edinburgh Leisure,ClubSportEdinburgh and sportscotland.
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