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Plenty on offer in Borough Sports Mela

20/ 8/2008

THE Borough of Rochdale will host the Rochdale Borough Community Sports Mela 2008 during the bank holiday weekend.

The festival will showcase a variety of traditional Asian sports, and promote the activities of a number of sports groups in the Borough.

It will be an opportunity for people from different communities to come together through sport in a fun and friendly atmosphere.

The event has been co-ordinated by a special steering group of people from local sports clubs, with the support of Link4Life and funding from a National Lottery Awards for All application.

The festival will be launched with an evening of Fitness, Health and Fun, on Friday from 6pm, with an opportunity for women to try an array of physical activity disciplines including aerobics, yoga, pilates, dancing and lots more.

Contact Elaine Stott, Active Communities Development Officer on 01706 926203 for more information.

Saturday will kick-off with a five-a-side multi-cultural football festival for under 12 and under 16 sides, organised by Rochdale AFC's Football in the Community team.

This will be followed on Sunday with an open age tournament and demonstration matches by local teams.

Sunday will also bring under 16 and open age cricket tournaments organised by Rochdale Sport for All. Also on Sunday will be the annual Kabaddi match between Rochdale and Birmingham. Hundreds are expected to watch this exciting spectacle.

Kabaddi, is primarily an Indian game which was introduced some 4,000 years ago. It is a team sport which requires both skill and power, and combines the characteristics of wrestling and rugby.

Monday promises to be the busiest day of the Festival.

There will be the Super 8 charity cricket tournament, organised by the British Asian Sports and Arts Foundation in aid of Springhill Hospice, between 11am and 6pm.

Springhill Badminton Club will host a tournament for under 14s and under 18s. There will also be an adult doubles contest.

Finally, Rochdale Volleyball Club will demonstrate the traditional nine-a-side game between 11 and 5pm outside if fine, inside from 4pm if raining

All the activities, with the exception of the Super 8 Charity Cricket Tournament, will take place at Springhill Sports Centre, Turf Hill Road, Rochdale.

The Super 8 Tournament will be at Thornham Cricket Club, Manchester Road, Slattocks, Middleton.

For more general information contact Julie Durrant on 01706 926201 or Andrew Entwistle on 01706 750894.