2019 SportAccord Convention the stage for United Through Youth Initiative and Gold Coast Sport Festival

Key outreach events to be held during the 2019 Sport Accord Convention on the Gold Coast next week - the United Through Youth Initiative and Gold Coast Sport Festival - will see international sporting leaders mix with youth sport participants to celebrate sport and look at its future legacies.

The United Through Youth Opening Forum on the 7th May will present inspirational and influential speakers from the world of sports.

The Forum will host the International Olympic Committee President Dr Thomas Bach; the Eighth Former United Nations General Secretary Ban Ki-Moon; President of Generation for Peace, His Royal Highness Prince Faisal; President of WADA, Sir Craig Reedie; Australian Olympic Committee President, John Coates; ASIOF (the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations) President, Francesco Ricci Bitti; Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF) Senior Vice President, Raffaele Chiulli along with other internationally esteemed personalities.

The Gold Coast Sport Festival, will open at Kuwarra Park, Broadbeach at 6.30pm on 8th May with the talent of 250 young Australians on display and the Park transformed into 11 different zones with around 70 participating sports.

The ceremony promises to be an educational and action-packed extravaganza with many exclusives and ‘firsts’ being revealed from the moment the Sports Festival begins with the entire Opening Ceremony also performed in ‘sign’.

A key part of SportAccord, the Sports Festival was formed to make a real difference to the lives of countless children, giving them a chance to showcase their talents regardless of ability or life circumstances.

Under the patronage of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Queensland Government, around 5,000 children from 170 schools are set to take part in the Sports Festival from 8th to 10th May.

Children will have the opportunity to try as many sports as they wish (around 60 sports federations are involved including well-known athletes and celebrities). Morning programs, a mix of promoting an active lifestyle and education, will be exclusively for the youth of Australia, and doors will be opened to the general public for the afternoon and evening sessions.

Click here for information on the 2019 SportAccord World Sport and Business Summit in the Australasian Leisure Management industry Calendar.

Top image: The mascot of United Through Sports, Alex the Axolotl, meets GAISF Senior Vice-President, Raffaele Chiulli, and Vice-President, Stephan Fox, on arriving on the Gold Coast today.