Youth School Games expansion
The Youth School Games have grown rapidly from their creation in 2005 and have seen the participation of more than 2 million students from 40,000 schools in nearly 4,000 Brazilian cities.
The event was launched as part of Rio de Janeiro’s candidature for the 2016 Olympic Games. It has since expanded to become an annual high-performance sports event covering athletics, badminton, basketball, beach volleyball, chess, cycling, futsal, gymnastics, handball, swimming, table tennis, volleyball and wrestling.
Off the field, the Youth School Games prepare student athletes for first-class competition by giving them the opportunity to participate in cultural activities, including meeting Olympians and viewing exhibitions of Olympic items and education panels about Olympism. The event also includes dance, musical attractions and a focus on mindfulness.