11 Jun 2014 | Cricket
Over 100 of the 202 athletes so far selected to compete for Team Wales at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games will gather at the SWALEC Stadium on Wednesday 11 June for their official send-off event.
Some of Wales' most high profile athletes will be in attendance including Dai Greene, Helen Jenkins and Aled Davies along with the First Minister, Carwyn Jones, to celebrate their selection and to mark there being just seven weeks until the Opening Ceremony of the Games in Glasgow.
Brian Davies, High Performance Manager at Sport Wales, has been formally appointed by the Board of the Commonwealth Games Council for Wales as the Chef de Mission for Team Wales and will be responsible for leading the team into the Games in Glasgow. He has an unbreakable pride in Welsh sport and an unquestionable understanding of creating an outstanding performance environment for elite athletes who will be supported by world class support staff to ensure every opportunity is given to each athlete to excel.
Davies said, It's a great honour for me to be appointed as the Chef de Mission for the team. With former Chef's Chris Jenkins and Anne Ellis OBE setting such high standards at the last two Games it is a tough act to follow but a challenge that I will relish. We have a great back room team in place and I'm confident we can deliver a great Games for Wales.
The send-off event officially marks the final countdown to the Commonwealth Games and we're delighted that SWALEC Stadium, in association with SSE, has offered to host the 2014 event for the team.
It's been a busy period of selections and preparations and we're delighted with the mix of experienced athletes and Commonwealth debutants that have been chosen to represent our proud nation on the world stage in just 42 days' time.
I'd like to take this opportunity to wish all of the athletes the very best. A nation 3 million-strong is behind you and I'm confident you'll do your very best and make us proud in Glasgow.
The athlete chosen to captain Team Wales will be announced at the event with the First Minister saying a few words to officially wish the team well.
The First Minister said; Just making it this far will have taken huge levels of dedication, desire and no small amount of skill and I congratulate each of the athletes on their selection to Team Wales. Representing Wales in any sport is a tremendous honour and the Commonwealth Games brings added responsibility, but I am sure the hard work will pay off and inspire a new generation of athletes across Wales.
I'd like to wish the entire Team - including all those working hard behind the scenes - a huge pob lwc - the whole nation is behind you.
Wendy Barbour, Director of Commonwealth Games and Sponsorship, SSE, said; As proud partner of Team Wales, SSE SWALEC would like to take this opportunity to wish not only our very own Athlete Ambassadors Aled Davies and Becky James, the very best of luck but to extend that to each and every athlete competing in the colours of Wales at Glasgow 2014.
SSE is supporting athletes at all levels of sport through encouraging supporters to tweet #GoWales. Every tweet which uses the hashtag will count towards SSE's #GoGlasgow table, with the country finishing top of the table at the end of the Games securing the most funding for their future sporting stars, so #GoWales!