Boxing Proud For Ealing

Team of local athletes take part in Olympic Park competition

Over 55s from Ealing who took part in an Olympic style event at the Copper Box Arena have been praised by former champion John Conteh.

The annual event run by the UK’s largest public leisure provider Better, is in its 13th year, and aims to encourage older people to become more active.

Team Ealing lined up against teams from across London and beyond to represent their boroughs, competing against 700 over 55-year-olds at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on Wednesday 10th October 2018.

Participants took part in eleven sports including walking football, walking netball, badminton, short tennis, table tennis, darts, short mat bowls, timed cycle, timed swim, walking football and dominoes. 

The teams were drawn from across London and the South including: Barnet, Camden, Croydon, Crystal Palace, Ealing, Epsom and Ewell, Greenwich, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Hillingdon, Kensington & Chelsea, Islington, Lambeth, Merton, North Kesteven, Reigate and Banstead, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Cambridge, Rugby and Sutton.

The winning Greenwich team retained their 2017 title, with Epsom and Ewell taking runners-up spot and Reigate and Banstead in third.

Former WBC World Light-Heavyweight Champion and star of 70s BBC hit show Superstars, John Conteh MBE was the guest of honour and officially opened The Games, while Team GB athlete and Dancing on Ice star Perri Shakes-Drayton also dropped in, to support the competitors in their events.

John Conteh said,“it was great being part of the Better Glub Games at the Copper Box Arena, watching so many teams of people of advanced ages keeping fit, by applying themselves to the numerous sporting events.

“It inspires me to continue my workout routine, and enjoy the benefits of wellbeing. As my old trainer used to say to me, ‘most fights are won and lost on the training ground.’" 

Mark Sesnan, Managing Director at GLL, said: “As GLL is the UK’s leading charitable leisure social enterprise we are proud to run the Better Club Games and to celebrate the benefits that regular physical activity and an active lifestyle can bring to both mental and physical health, whatever your age.”

October 25, 2018