Information Bulletin
Scotland's Sporting Heroes Celebrated in the Shetland Islands
A collection of outstanding photographs depicting the triumphs of Commonwealth Games athletes from Scotland will be on display at the Clickimin Leisure Complex in Lerwick from 28 – 31 May 2007. The O2 Sporting Heroes Exhibition features striking images of sporting moments from previous Commonwealth Games and is open to the public daily.
The exhibition has been created by O2, in conjunction with sportscotland and the Commonwealth Games Council for Scotland, to encourage people to ‘Back Scotland’s bid’ for the Commonwealth Games in 2014 in Glasgow. It comprises breathtaking shots that mark the success of many of Scotland’s athletes including a picture of Gregor Tait claiming one of his two gold medals.
Louise Martin, chairman of Commonwealth Games Council for Scotland, said: “This exhibition is a fantastic celebration of the accomplishments of Scottish athletes. The powerful photos are an inspiration to us and a testament to the success of our talented sportspeople. We hope they will encourage people in the North East area to take up the challenge of sport.
“We want to encourage everyone to back Glasgow’s bid. We believe that a Commonwealth Games in Glasgow would be good for Scotland, great for Scottish sport and a fantastic opportunity for Scottish athletes to compete in front of a home crowd."
Chief Executive of Shetland Islands Council, Morgan Goodlad, said: "It is excellent to be hosting this exhibition showcasing Scotland's sporting prowess. We have previously had Commonwealth competitors in the shooting disciplines and it would be tremendous if a number of Shetlanders can attain the standard to be able to compete in Glasgow in 2014.
Having successfully hosted the Island Games in 2005 and looking forward to the Tall Ships’ Races in 2011, Shetland is well aware of the benefits of staging large scale international events. The photographic exhibition at the Clickimin Leisure Centre displaying the achievements of Scotland’s sportsmen and women will hopefully help to inspire and encourage further participation in sports locally”.
The exhibition features 32 dramatic photographs of athletes competing for Scotland in the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne (2006) and Manchester (2002). The images are accompanied by information about the pictures and quotes from athletes.
Hundreds of school pupils around the Shetland Islands will attend the exhibition over the week to encourage them to get involved in sport and to back the Commonwealth Games bid.
The exhibition will also feature the best photographs from O2’s sporting heroes photo competition. People in the Shetland Islands can enter by taking digital photographs of sporting moments which fall into any of the exhibition’s main themes of winning, team, inspire, passion and Scotland. Photos should be sent via email to o2sport@consol.co.uk or alternatively text your pictures with the word SPORT in the title to 07725 020202. Your picture message will be charged at your network’s standard rate. Entries close at 12 noon on Friday 25 May.
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NOTES TO NEWS EDITORS –
- The exhibition will be open from 7am - 11pm on Monday 28 May, 7am – 11pm until Thursday 31 May.
- O2 in Scotland is in the middle of two-year recruitment drive to employ around 1,500 people and invest £18 million in the Scottish network and contact centre facility.
- The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) will make the decision on 9th November 2007, at their General Assembly in Sri Lanka.
- Glasgow is competing against Abuja in Nigeria.
- To back the bid, log on to www.glasgow2014.com and register your support.
About O2
O2 is a leading provider of mobile services to consumers and businesses in the UK. It is the leader in non-voice services, including text, media messaging, games, music and video, as well as always on data connections via GPRS, 3G and WLAN. Every month, O2’s 17.6 million customers send well over a billion text messages. The wider O2 group comprises mobile network operators in the UK and Ireland, along with integrated fixed/mobile businesses in Germany, the Czech Republic, the Isle of Man (Manx Telecom) and the O2 Airwave emergency services network in the UK.
(For b-roll footage of O2, please visit www.thenewshub.co.uk)
For further information, please contact:
Gillian Woolsey Carolynne Coole
Consolidated Consolidated
(T) 0131 240 6424 (T) 0131 240 6421
(M) 07787 572 779 (M) 07782 186155
Ken Leitch
O2 PR and Public Affairs Manager Scotland
(T) 0141 220 0700
(M) 07734 606319