Young Athletes Sprint 100m To Mark 100 Days Countdown To London Olympics

KUALA LUMPUR, April 18 (Bernama) -- One hundred (100) young athletes from Malaysia and the United Kingdom schools participated in a 100m sprint event at the National Sports Complex in Bukit Jalil here on Wednesday to mark the 100 days countdown to the 2012 London Olympics. Among the athletes were students from the Bukit Jalil Sports School and Alice Smith School who were divided into Under-15 and Under-18 categories for boys and girls. British High Commissioner Simon Featherstone who was present said a similar event was also staged in other countries around the world such as China, Mexico, Russia and South Africa. "The camaraderie and sportsmanship which is being displayed by today's participants is evidence that the spirit of the Olympics is very much alive," he said in his speech before the event. Also present was National Sports Council Director-General Zolkples Embong, Chief de Mission for the Malaysian contingent to the Olympics, Ahmad Sarji Hamid and Olympic Council of Malaysia Deputy President A.Sani Karim. The Olympics and Paralympic Games will be held in London from Jul 27 to Aug 12 and Aug 29 to Sept 9, respectively. So far 19 national athletes have qualified for the Olympic Games, namely in shooting, archery, diving, cycling and fencing. -- BERNAMA