Blackburn Rovers have jumped the gun and made a quick start to the Olympics - much to the delight of local schoolchildren.

While England's hosting of the 2012 Olympic Games may still be a couple of years away, the club's Community Trust staged a special 'Premier League 4 Sport' Mini Olympics event at Rovers' Indoor Centre at Ewood Park.

Run in conjunction with the Premier League, the Youth Sport Trust, Sport England and the national governing bodies of judo, table tennis, badminton and volleyball, the event was designed to use the power of the Premier League - and the community expertise of its clubs - to increase sporting participation and provide a network of sports clubs linking in with Olympic sports.

Rovers' mascot Roar teams up with volunteer judo instructor Jack Burns, Graham Bayley, development officer for British Judo, and 10-year-old Dakota Almond from Blackburn.

The Premier League 4 Sport project was launched at Ewood Park last October, delivering sports sessions in the boroughs of Blackburn with Darwen, Rossendale, Pendle and Hyndburn. Over 20 new sports clubs have since formed, covering the four aforementioned Olympic sports.

Griffin Park, Darwen Vale, St Bedes and Blakewater joined forces with Norden High School and Heatherland College at the Mini Olympics event, which was funded by Sportsmatch.

Claire Newton, Rovers' Premier League 4 Sport co-ordinator, said: "It was a fantastic event with over 100 young people learning different skills in each of the sports.

"It not only helped raise the awareness of the sports involved, but the young people also had the opportunity to watch displays from ex-England table tennis star Andrea Holt and Michael Moir, the regional disability table tennis officer."

For further information on how the scheme works and where clubs are located, please contact Claire Newton on 01254 296124.

Picture top right - Volunteer instructor Jack Burns gets to grips with 11-year-old Kirstie Gradwell from Blackburn.