Sport clubs for disabled people in north Wales are few and far between

Organised by Disability Sport Cymru, the "adapted athletics" event is the culmination of six weeks of taster sessions held by north Wales's county councils for disabled people.

Teams from Gwynedd, Anglesey, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham will be competing against each other in the indoor athletics festival at Eirias Park, Colwyn Bay, on Saturday.

They will take part in running, relay and field events such as shot-put and "foam" javelin throwing.

The competitions will also include the "stand-in long jump", where the athlete stands by the bar before jumping rather than run towards it.

It is great to see so many people with disabilities getting involved Nicola Tennant, Disability Sport Cymru

Nicola Tennant, the Conwy development officer for Disability Sport Cymru, said: "The teams include children young as 11 to 40-year-old adults.

"Our job is to try to get young people with disabilities into mainstream athletics clubs, or otherwise encourage the formation of satellite clubs for disabled people."

Although there are some sports clubs in the area set up especially for disabled people, such as a football team in Llandudno, Ms Tennant said it was not as easy to form clubs for disabled people in the north.

She said the population could support clubs in south Wales, but not in the north.

"Because the population in the north is smaller it means it is more difficult to set up specific clubs for specific disabilities," said Ms Tennant.

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"But athletics events are for individuals rather than teams, so it is easier for people to get involved."

However, she said, the aim of the day was to have fun, get people interested and provide links into mainstream clubs.

Ms Tennant added: "The north Wales Disability Sport Cymru development officers have worked hard to get these athletics schemes off the ground.

"It is great to see so many people with disabilities getting involved, along with the coaches and volunteers helping to make events like this happen."

Talent spotting

In Gwynedd and Anglesey, young disabled people have been meeting at the Menai track and field club over the past six weeks.

Derwyn Owen, Gwynedd's Disability Sports development officer, said he saw the aim of the day as twofold.

"On Saturday, we want to find talent and encourage disabled people to go forward with sports," he said.

"We also want to get as many disabled children as possible involved in sport."

Stacy Norcross, Denbighshire's development officer for Disability Sport Cymru, said: "The six weeks have been very successful and only yesterday I got a call asking whether the weekly sessions would carry on after Saturday's festival.