London Youth Games is returning to action with an exciting calendar of summer events. Having been forced to cut the 2020 season short due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Europe’s largest youth sport festival is thrilled to be back delivering face-to-face competitions for young people in London.

For over 40 years, the London Youth Games has been using the power of competitive sport to create life-changing opportunities for young Londoners. Operating across all 33 London boroughs, the London Youth Games, which reaches over 100,000 young Londoners annually, has a vital role to play in helping young people in the capital recover from some of the most negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sport England research shows that over a quarter of children and young people said worries about Coronavirus prevented them from being active, while mental health charity Mind said 60% of adults and young people reported their mental health got worse during lockdown, and Women in Sport and Comic Relief revealed that 41% of teenage girls have lost confidence in their sporting ability because of the pandemic.

“We know the positive impact sport can have on the lives of young people whether it is improving physical and mental wellbeing, driving social integration or tackling a wide-range of social issues,” said LYG Chair, Mickela Hall-Ramsay. “As we look to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, the London Youth Games has a crucial role to play in helping our young people by keeping them active and engaged in sport.”

The London Youth Games’ summer of sport begins with a weekend of Tennis on 19^th and 20^th June, followed by a two-day Sailing event at Queen Mary’s Reservoir on the 26^th and 27^th June.

Other sports included in the 2021 calendar are Basketball, BMX, Kayak Slalom & Sprint, Road Cycling and Archery. There will also be three multi-sport Hub Weekends taking place in August and September featuring Netball, Hockey, Football, Street Cricket and Beach Volleyball competitions.

To ensure the safety and wellbeing of participants, all sports and event days have been subject to extensive risk assessments and will continue to follow the latest government guidance. Certain events have been regionalised to limit the number of participants. Strict Covid-19 safety measures will be followed by everyone on site. All sports will take place outdoors and some have been adapted such as Basketball, which will now be a 3v3 competition.

London Youth Games is committed to sustainability and will be using collateral from the 2020 season to avoid unnecessary waste, this will include the medals and certificates awarded to winning participants.

The Jubilee Trophy will not be awarded for the 2021 season. However, the Respect the Games Trophy will be given to one borough at the end of the season. The Respect the Games Trophy aims to celebrate all that makes London’s youth great by encouraging all competitors to live up to the values of Fairness, Ambition, Inclusion and Respect during all London Youth Games competitions. Every team receives a nomination form to award to another borough who best exemplify these values. The team with the most overall wins at the end of the season will be awarded the Respect the Games Trophy.

“We’re hugely excited to be back delivering face-to-face competition,” says LYG CEO, Andy Dalby-Welsh. “We appreciate how difficult the last 16 months has been for everyone with many of us experiencing loss and isolation. To come back together as the country opens up again, will be a special feeling. We look forward to welcoming back young Londoners and our brilliant volunteers for an incredible celebration of sport this summer!”

You can view all upcoming events on our Event Calendar.

For rules and event day information, please visit our Sports pages.