Football legend Gareth Bale inspired the next generation as he stepped up his drive to promote sporting opportunities for young people at the Celtic Manor Resort.
The fourth annual Gareth Bale Festival of Sport took place on the weekend (Saturday 20th September) and saw more than 100 children from some of the most underserved communities in Wales given the chance to try out a wide variety of sports, while 84 young golfers contested an elite junior championship at the renowned Ryder Cup venue.
Organised in partnership with Wales Golf, StreetGames and CAA Sports – with support from the R&A – the festival saw Bale take part in sports including tennis, boxing, basketball, athletics and football as he encouraged youngsters to enjoy the social and well-being benefits of sporting activity.
A keen golfer, Bale was also on hand to watch many of the country’s most promising young male and female players tee off in the Gareth Bale Championship. They played the opening two rounds on Celtic Manor’s Roman Road Course before competing for the prestigious title in the final round on The Montgomerie Course on Sunday.
Bale also took part in Q&A sessions with the young participants, answering questions on the glittering football career which took him to five Champions League titles with Real Madrid and the semi-finals of Euro 2016 as Wales’s record goalscorer.
Bale said: “The Festival of Sport is something I look forward to every year. It’s vital we give young people the chance to try sports for the first time. As a boy, I played every sport I could and I’m sure that helped me to develop as an athlete. That’s why it’s been great to see the smiles on these young athletes’ faces today as they play sports they maybe have never had the chance to try before.
“At the other end of the scale, I also think we need to give elite young sportspeople the chance to compete at the highest level, so it’s been great to see the standard of golf continue to rise in the Gareth Bale Championship. They could not ask for a better venue than the championship courses here at Celtic Manor and tournaments like this are key for them to challenge themselves and hopefully reach the top of the game.”
David Griffin, Resort Operations Director at Celtic Manor, said: “We are delighted to host the Gareth Bale Championship and Festival of Sport once again and support this brilliant initiative to bring more sporting opportunities to young people. We are committed to supporting golf development here at Celtic Manor, having hosted our own Junior Wales Open for many years and our Golf Academy is a practice base for the Welsh national team and development squads.”
Rhiannon Sheen de Jesus, Regional Partnership Manager for StreetGames, Wales, said: “At StreetGames, we are committed to breaking down barriers and ensuring that all young people, regardless of background, have the opportunity to experience the transformative power of sport. The Gareth Bale Festival of Sport is a perfect example of how we can provide children with the chance to explore a range of sports, helping them find their passion and stay active. This event is also a critical step in our mission to establish year-round, multisport opportunities in underserved communities, opening pathways for young people to grow into volunteers and community leaders.”
Hannah McAllister, CEO at Wales Golf, said: “It’s fantastic to stage the Gareth Bale Championship alongside the Festival of Sport to show the benefits that sport can bring to people and communities. We launched our ‘Give Golf a Go’ campaign earlier this year, ahead of the biggest female sporting event ever held in Wales – the AIG Women’s Open – to encourage more people to try golf. Having Gareth Bale lend his name and support to this championship gives us another opportunity to get young people excited about the game.”
