Video: Charity backs Prince’s call to bring Warrior Games to Britain

PRINCE Harry started the first event of America’s Warrior Games as a leading Forces charity said it was determined to help the royal bring the event to Britain.
Prince Harry plays for the UK team against the USA during a seated volleyball exhibition match during the Warrior GamesPrince Harry plays for the UK team against the USA during a seated volleyball exhibition match during the Warrior Games
Prince Harry plays for the UK team against the USA during a seated volleyball exhibition match during the Warrior Games

As Harry set off a group of injured troops in the hand-cycle event he said the sporting spectacle for wounded servicemen and women could be a huge global attraction like the Olympics.

The royal helped launch the Paralympic-style competition yesterday when he joined Olympic swimmer Missy Franklin and blind US Navy Lieutenant Brad Snyder in igniting a large symbolic flame during the Games’ opening ceremony.

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Bryn Parry, co-founder of Help For Heroes, which has funded the British team’s participation in the Warrior Games, said that with Harry’s help an international competition for wounded servicemen could take place in London next year.

Prince Harry plays for the UK team against the USA during a seated volleyball exhibition match during the Warrior GamesPrince Harry plays for the UK team against the USA during a seated volleyball exhibition match during the Warrior Games
Prince Harry plays for the UK team against the USA during a seated volleyball exhibition match during the Warrior Games

Standing on the start line at the US Air Force Training Academy in Colorado Springs the Prince told spectators and the competitors lined up in front of him: “You’ve got the Olympics, you’ve got the Paralympics and you’ve got the Warrior Games, there’s no reason why the Warrior Games shouldn’t be recognised world wide, with the same amount of attention as the Olympics and Paralympics.”

Gesturing to the large number of broadcasters and journalists the Prince added: “You’ve got all these guys here – it’s not always great having them around – but today it’s fantastic to get the message across to every other country that has eyes on here at the moment.”

Taking part was Jonathan Le Galloudec, 32, from Westbury, Wiltshire a former corporal from the 4th battalion the Rifles, who only has partial use of his legs after he was shot in the spine in Basra, Iraq in 2007.

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He was one of around a dozen competitors taking part in the 10 kilometre hand-cycle raceh.

The racers completed a lap of a large circuit around the airforce base with the former British servicemen finishing eighth. Another four British competitors were also competing in various cycle races yesterday.

In a speech yesterday given ahead of the Warrior Games opening ceremony Harry said: “I only hope in the future, the near future we can bring the Warrior Games to Britain and continue to enlarge this fantastic cause.”

Bryn Parry, co-founder of Help For Heroes, said: “If Harry can set up the vision, we can make it happen.” He said high-profile events for injured veterans would become “vital” to keep their lifelong need for support in the public eye once Britain leaves Afghanistan.

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