More than 1,000 schoolchildren with their eyes on a career in elite sport will converge in Coventry next month for the 2007 UK School Games.

The Youth Sport Trust is hoping it will build on the success of last year’s inaugural event in Glasgow, where 98 personal bests were set in athletics alone.

P<> Designed to replicate a major adult multi-sport competition, complete with opening and closing ceremonies, an athletes’ village and tv cameras, it is hoped the Games will give young people valuable experience of handling the pressure of a major sports event.

Beth Tweddle, the only British gymnast to become world champion, praised the initiative: “Going to a big multi-sport event for the first time can be very daunting and I would have loved the chance to experience something like this on home soil when I was coming through the ranks.”

The Games will run each year until 2011, funded by £2.3 from the National Lottery. Last year five sports were included: athletics, fencing, gymnastics, swimming and table tennis. Judo, volleyball and badminton have been added for this year. They take place from 23-26 August.