September 21: Olympic boost for Kent
It
was standing room only at an event at County Hall today to mark the
news that Kent is to be used as a pre-Olympics base by Judo players
from Ukraine and Belarus.
(It wasn't just the presence of some impressively large
representatives from the two nations, who looked like they
might be able to pick you up and crush you without breaking
sweat).
The squads from the two countries are to be based at Tonbridge
School and Tonbridge Judo Club for the run-up to and for the
Games itself.
KCC is understandably very pleased with the news -
after a lot of talk about Kent's Olympic potential, this is really
the first tangible outcome of its considerable efforts to woo
countries to train here before the Games.
There is another reason why KCC is particularly pleased - namely
because the announcement is being seen as helpful in other
discussions going on with different
countries about basing themselves here.
There's still no news however on Kent's other campaign,
aimed at bringing the Olympic torch (or baton) to Dover to herald
the start of the round-Britain relay before the official lighting
ceremony.
Sources say that the issue - which will be taken by LOCOG -
is a delicate one and Kent is being careful to strike the
right note in its persuade the powers that be that Dover would
represent a symbolic place to begin the baton relay, not
least because it is where the torch relay began for the1948
London games.
A key date is looming though because next year marks the point
at which local councils will begin to find out what arrangements
need to be made to stage various events to mark the arrival of the
torch in their areas.
In theory, Games organisers have until 2012 to decide but
because of the logistics of setting up such events, councils and
others will need a far longer lead-in time than just a couple of
months.
Monday, September 21 2009