Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Valentine earns games call-up
Hockey
Herne Bay youngster Jack Valentine has been selected to play for England boys’ white team in hockey at the National School Games, held at Loughborough University and Sheffield from September 1-4, writes Joe Eves.
Valentine, 17, attends St Lawrence College in Ramsgate and plays his club hockey for Canterbury.
He has also represented England’s under-16s and had this to say about his call up: “I’m so excited to be taking part in the School Games this year. I can’t wait to compete but also just soak up the experience around the athletes’ village.”
Valentine is one of eight competitors from Kent who have been selected to compete in the nation’s multi-sport event for elite athletes.
There will be a variety of sports taking place, from wheelchair basketball to swimming with around 1,600 athletes competing.
Eleven of the events will take place at Loughborough University while the swimmers will be competing at the Ponds Forge International Sports Centre’s Olympic-sized pool in Sheffield, due to renovations to Loughborough’s own state-ofthe-art swimming pool.
The Games are funded by the National Lottery and Sport England and are being organised by the Youth Sport Trust.
Athletes will live like Olympians, staying in the athletes’ village and attending opening and closing ceremonies while the event is expected to be attended by thousands.
Previous competitors include Olympic gold medallist and world-record breaking swimmer Adam Peaty, Paralympic champions Hannah Cockroft, Ellie Simmonds and Jonnie Peacock, heptathlete Katarina Johnson-thompson and Dartford’s Team GB sprinter Adam Gemili.