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News Release from: Fast Track | Subject: National Lottery World Class Awards
Edited by the Marketingservicestalk Editorial
Team on 25 September 2007
Glasgow hosts National Lottery World
Class Awards
The National Lottery World Class Awards were hosted yesterday at the newly refurbished Fruitmarket at City Halls in Glasgow.
The event took place at the Lottery-funded facility to formally recognise, for the first time, the significant role that National Lottery funding plays in helping elite Scottish athletes in their quest to compete in Beijing 2008, at London 2012 and Glasgow if the city is successful in its bid to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games The 1976 Olympic 200m breaststroke gold medallist David Wilkie was present at the ceremony, which has seen over 60 athletes from a variety of sports awarded a commemorative plaque to recognise their achievements
This article was originally published on Marketingservicestalk on 21 Jun 2007 at 8.00am (UK)
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They also received a number of inspirational talks including a message from Lord Coe.
Wilkie said: "Today has been about celebrating Scottish talent that is competing for or hoping to compete for Great Britain on the world stage and also acknowledging the continued support The National Lottery gives to these athletes as they look towards achieving their sporting dreams".
Wilkie continued: "National Lottery funding through UK Sport not only helps these athletes with their day-to-day living expenses but also enables them to benefit from access to world-class facilities that are now in place across the UK.
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"It also allows our athletes to be part of a professional set-up that national governing bodies have been able to put into place.
"If funding had been available in my day I would like to think I could have competed for many more years".
With the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games just five years away, an event which The National Lottery is committed to investing in, many of the athletes being recognised in Glasgow will hope to go on and represent Great Britain.
UK Sport's Head of Performance, Peter Keen, said: "The sporting landscape has changed significantly since National Lottery funding was introduced back in 1997.
"As one of sport's early Performance Directors with British Cycling, I saw the benefits first hand and we are now clearly capable of going head to head with the world's best across a whole host of Olympic and Paralympic sports.
"We have set ourselves ambitious challenges over the next six years, but with the support of The National Lottery, we have all the tools we need to do the job".
BBC Scotland has been documenting seven talented young athletes across a range of sports, which will be broadcast, along with footage from the National Lottery World Class Awards, in a half-hour programme on BBC2 Scotland on Wednesday 26 September at 19:00 hours.
David Harron, Editor of TV Sport at BBC Scotland, said: "We are delighted to have commissioned a programme following some of the young athletes nominated for the National Lottery World Class Awards.
"It demonstrates our commitment to Scottish sport and provides an insight into the lives and dedication of athletes who will hopefully go on to success at the 2012 Olympics".
Present at the Awards ceremony was a mixture of young talent and established Scottish athletes including recent rowing World champion Katherine Grainger.
"I am delighted to be here today at the National Lottery World Class Awards," said the Glasgow-born rower.
"I have been fortunate to receive National Lottery funding from UK Sport throughout my rowing career and the young talent in this room is coming into a ready-made system that works and is helping Great Britain compete against the best nations in the world.
"Funding has certainly helped me to become World champion and I hope now to make Scotland proud by becoming Olympic champion next year".
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