Sport hits the big screen

As the build up to London 2012 gathers racing pace, sporting people and clubs in South West Wales will be hitting the big screen.

With major sports events being broadcast regularly to the watching public on Swansea's Castle Square BBC Big Screen, it is now the turn of local sport lovers to become the next screen stars.

A number of short films and clips produced by Sport Wales have been programmed to show on Swansea's BBC Big Screen.

They include interviews with visually impaired sprinter James Ledger from Swansea and sensei Suzy Evans who runs the thriving Peniel and Llandybie Higashi Karate Club.

There are also features on a new athletics' club in Llanelli, basketball for secondary school pupils in Swansea and footage from a disability athletics festival in Llanelli.

"Whenever we attend sporting events in the area we take our camcorder along and record stuff for our website and social media," said Paul Batcup, public relations officer for Sport Wales.

"Especially at the grassroots we always find that clubs love to shout about their work and the success and hard work all their members are putting in.

"The BBC Big Screen is another fantastic opportunity to champion local sport and showcase all the work that goes on."

Swansea is one of several cities across the UK to have been picked as a giant screen location to celebrate the build-up to the London Olympics in 2012.

The BBC, Swansea Council and the Swansea BID (Business Improvement District) are all partners in the project. Funding has come from the National Lottery through the Olympic Lottery Distributor (OLD) and London 2012 partners Lloyds TSB and BT.

The Sport Wales footage will also be shown on Cardiff's BBC Big Screen. There are currently two screens in Wales.

For more information on the big screens in Wales contact Stephen Morgan, BBC Cymru Wales Screen Manager on stephen.morgan@bbc.co.uk or 02920 322026.

To see the stories and footage supplied by Sport Wales that is being featured on the big screens visit www.sportwales.org.uk.