Fri, August 01, 2008
Officials at the London 2012 Olympics have become used to a succession of negative press headlines dealing with the multi-billion pounds cost of the Games but on Thursday they received unwelcome news from an unikely source -- the Government.
Research commissioned by the Department for Children, Schools and Families found more than eight out of 10 schoolchildren knew very little about the Games.
Given that one of the Games's aims is to help spark an increase in youth sports participation, the survey's finding that 83 percent of young people currently know "not very much" or "nothing at all" about London 2012 is a concern.
However a spokesman for the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) told AFP: "We understand that this research was conducted up to a year ago. Our own, more recent, research shows that young people are supportive of the Games coming to London and want to be part of it.
"We've undertaken a lot of activities in the past year, aimed at young people in particular."
The spokesman added: "We took a road show to 27 cities all around the UK last year and over 50,000 youngsters tried a new sport at these roadshows. We are taking a similar roadshow around London in the next few weeks."
But the Government survey, carried out by leading poll firm Ipsos Mori, found some youngsters mirroring attitudes expressed by adults with one teenager saying: "They are not going to build all those stadiums in time. It just isn't going to happen. They've already spent billions more than they should have."
Nevertheless, the survey also found that once made aware of the Olympics, the majority were excited by the event although there were concerns that it might be damaging for Britain if the host nation didn't achieve a large medal haul in four years' time.
"That'll be really embarrassing if we run it but don't win it," said one pupil.
The 2008 Olympics get underway in Beijing next week and the LOCOG spokesman was confident youth awareness in the London Games would be boosted when an education programme was rolled out in September.
"Our education programme is being launched in September. This will be a very important way of engaging young people."
The total cost of the 2012 Games is set to be 9.325 billion pounds although LOCOG say that the actual amount of money needed to stage the Olympics and Paralympics is two billion pounds.
The remaining cash is to be used for funding the infrastructure of the Games and helping regenerate the East End of London, where the Olympic Park containing the main stadium will be sited, which is one of the poorest parts of the capital.
(Agencies)
