Christina Carter, four-times Greenwich cross-country champion, will be the borough's only representative in

Europe's largest youth competition, the London Heathrow Youth Games at Parliament Hill Fields on

Saturday.

The 14-year-old from Eltham, who has also represented the borough in swimming, road-racing, track athletics, duathlons and triathlons, only secured her place for this Saturday's event after her father's 11th-hour intervention.

Cyril Carter, Greenwich games' squad manager, made his late move after the borough's sports development officials decided to axe the team from the games.

Carter said: "Christina will have to make her own way to the venue and has been told by sports development officer Kim Hoskins that she must wear her old kit from the last summer games, when she competes in the duathlon.

"Despite a healthy entry for the Greenwich Schools' Cross-Country Championships, hosted by Cambridge Harriers, the borough's sports officials decided this weekend's event is not cost effective.

"This decision will deny the borough's sporting youngsters the chance of gaining valuable competitive experience."

Meanwhile, the summer youth games' squad is also facing cutbacks, according to the borough's development officer Steve Johnson.

Carter added: "Whatever happens, Christina will enter as an individual.

"Such moves reflect the current trend to ignore the development of minority sports, with greater emphasis placed on the participation in majority sports like football.

"Athletics is declining in terms of youth participation and needs greater support from both the borough and local schools in order to encourage youngsters to broaden their sporting interests and opportunities.

"We have a Premeirship football team, but there is little else to crow about as far as sport in the borough of Greenwich is concerned.

"Perhaps Charlton Athletic could step in to support a task the sports development officials seemingly find so difficult?"

Carter concluded: "Experience suggets that once things are axed, they are rarely reinstated. Support for all youth sport should be reinforced, supported and better funded.

"The alternatives are more disaffected, bored and frustrated youngsters on our streets, which is bound to increase the level of mindless vandalism and

violence which is already a blight on our society."

A spokesman for Greenwich Borough's sports development office said: "There were two reasons why a team will not be sent. We had a staff shortage, but mainly it was because there was a poor attendance by the children.

"But we're putting a team in the rugby cup competition and we'll review the situation again next year."

November 20, 2001 12:48