Celebration of disability sport to take centre stage on Millennium Square this Saturday

A carnival of disability sport is set to take over a popular city centre square this Saturday to celebrate the beginning of the Paralympic Games in Rio.

Held from 12-4pm on Saturday 10 September, those in attendance can enjoy a range of disability and Paralympics sports for free on Millennium Square as part of the ‘Leeds 2 Rio’ event. Set to feature will be; tennis; athletics; table tennis; rowing; powerlifting; boccia; football; adapted bikes; goalball and many more.

Accompanying the event, which has been organised in partnership with Leeds Disability Sport Youth Panel and the Yorkshire Sport Foundation, will be all the action from the Rio Paralympic Games on Millennium Square’s big screen.

Also available each evening next week on Millennium Square from 5-7pm (Monday 12 September-Friday 16 September) will be a series of taster sessions of events set to feature on Saturday. Open to people of all ages and disabilities, the taster sessions and Saturday’s event promise to be a great way in which to have great fun whilst discovering and taking part in a new disability sport.

The amazing performances of local Paralympic and Olympic athletes are to be recognised later this month, as part of a very special Yorkshire homecoming event to be held in Leeds on Wednesday 28 September. Further details regarding the event, which is to begin late afternoon, are set to be announced shortly.

Leeds City Council’s executive member with responsibility for sport, Councillor James Lewis, said:

“We are very proud to have in Leeds some wonderful clubs, coaches and athletes who are doing such a brilliant job in demonstrating why disability should not be a barrier to sport. Throughout the year we work extremely hard on our disabled sport programme, and it is great to see so many people of all ages taking part.

“The Paralympics is a tremendous showcase of disability sport and because of its success and popularity we want to highlight what opportunities are available in Leeds to have fun and get involved.

“A wide range of disability and Paralympic sports will be available for people to try as part of the Leeds 2 Rio event on 10 September, which sit aside a series of taster sessions we will also be hosting every evening next week on Millennium Square from 5pm-7pm.”

Notes to editors:

To find out more about the event or taster sessions, please Tel: 07722 269964 or email: glenn.holdsworth@yorkshiresport.org

For media enquiries, please contact;

Colin Dickinson, Leeds City Council press office (0113) 39 51578

Email: colin.dickinson@leeds.gov.uk