Ponds Forge to host unique month of events

National diving competitions, frisbee tournaments and karate championships are just some of the highlights in a unique month of events to be hosted by Ponds Forge International Sports Centre.

The Sheffield International Venues (SIV) managed conferencing and events facility has compiled a diverse month of events for February, which is set to attract thousands of people to the city.

Events include the British Gas National Cup Diving Championships, which will feature big name divers including Tom Daley, who won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award at the Sheffield Arena in December, as well as Ponds Forge-based Nick Robinson-Baker. The competition takes place between 5 and 7 February.

Almost 200 swimmers from the Learn to Swim scheme will gather for the Little Olympics on 6 February. The event sees teams of children aged between five and 10 years old compete in three events from five categories - butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, frontcrawl and individual medley.

The UK’s number one indoor frisbee tournament, ‘Mix and Mingle’, will see 24 mixed teams compete for the unique title. The event has an 80s theme and classic songs from the era will be played throughout with competitors travelling from as far as Scotland to compete.

The 2010 British University and College Sports (BUCS) Longcourse Meet will see promising swimmers from all over the country gather between 12 and 14 February, whilst the AMA International Karate will add some fighting spirit to the line-up on 27 and 28 February, attracting some of the top young karate competitors.

Helen Broadbent, general manager at Ponds Forge, said: “At SIV we have a commitment to maximising the economic impact in the city and attracting people from across the country to our wide choice of events’ facilities.

“The adaptability of the spaces on offer at Ponds Forge is highlighted by February’s unique and varied programme of events. Whatever the nature of the events hosted by the venue, we aim to deliver exceptional services to our clients at all times."

This latest programme of events follows an extremely successful 2009 for Ponds Forge, which has hosted the FINA World Diving Series and the British Gas Swimming Championships. The venue also took centre stage on the BBC’s Sportsround programme, which featured 2009’s sporting highlights.

The British Gas National Cup Diving event is open to spectators. Tickets are available on the door and cost £5 for a three day ticket or £2 for a daily ticket. For more information, visit www.ponds-forge.co.uk/events or call 0114 223 3400.