COBIS Secondary Games Sheffield 2017 COBIS SECONDARY GAMES FRIDAY- SUNDAY Sheffield 18 - 20 MAY 2018 Official Games Website: www.cobisgames.com COBIS Secondary Games Sheffield 2018 Dear all, Welcome to the COBIS Secondary Games 2018! We are delighted to bring the Games back to Sheffield for a second consecutive year and we’d like to welcome both new and returning schools to this wonderful city. 23 teams from schools in 13 different countries have come together for three days of competitive sports - that’s 400 students who have travelled here to experience the glory of the COBIS Games. You all have one special thing in common - you are members of the ever- growing COBIS family! With that in mind, we want you to enjoy your time in the UK by taking in your new surroundings and the fabulous sporting facilities here in Sheffield, by meeting new friends and by sharing your experiences as a student at a high-quality British international school. We’d also like to welcome the dedicated and supportive coaches, parents and family members who have arrived here from Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East to cheer on the young athletes. Your enthusiasm for this event is recognised and appreciated and we thank you for all your hard work in developing and coaching the students who will participate in this global event. COBIS is committed to encouraging and cultivating the incredible student talent found in our schools around the globe, through a range of exciting competitions, activities and events beyond the classroom. I’m sure you’ll agree that the COBIS Games are a thrilling and fun three days allowing students to work with their teammates to achieve greatness while also supporting students from other teams within the COBIS family to excel and succeed. Finally, a sincere thanks to our valued colleagues at Sheffield City Council and the staff at the various venues across the city who make this event such a professional and exciting tournament. On behalf of everyone connected to COBIS across 80 countries and 5 continents worldwide, best of luck for the COBIS Games 2018! Colin Bell COBIS CEO cobis.org.uk COBIS Secondary Games Sheffield 2018 Foreword from the Lord Mayor of Sheffield On behalf of the City of Sheffield I have great pleasure in welcoming you to our magnificent city. I appreciate many of you have come from different corners of the globe but hope your travel experience was pleasant and you are now looking forward to a weekend of events that will bring lots of excitement. During the weekend of competition Sheffield will see the talents of the young sports people within the COBIS family compete across three sports within three excellent venues across the city. A lot of hard work goes on behind the scenes from many organisations. So I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the staff at the Event Teams and Marketing Sheffield from Sheffield City Council, City of Sheffield Swim Squad, City of Sheffield and Dearne Athletics Club and Onside Sports. Plus special thanks must also go to the ever present band of officials & volunteers who constantly give up their precious time to support. Finally, I do hope that you enjoy your stay here and get the opportunity to see some of the many beautiful sights of Sheffield and surrounding areas. I wish you luck and much enjoyment over the weekend. Councillor Magid Magid Lord Mayor of Sheffield COBIS Secondary Games Sheffield 2018 History of the COBIS Games The COBIS Games were founded in 2012 at the Prague British School in order to create an event that brought together COBIS students from across the globe. The first COBIS Games were opened by 2015 saw the COBIS Games return to Europe COBIS Honorary President, Sir Roger Fry, for to be hosted in Athens. For the first time, the students aged 9-11. Twelve schools took part Primary and Secondary Games were hosted in the inaugural competition with The British together by St Catherine’s British School with School in The Netherlands winning the overall the competition taking place at the prestigious competition. Olympic Centre in Athens. More than 500 Following on from the success of the first students attended from 28 schools from Asia, COBIS Games, the 2013 Games were hosted Africa, Europe and the Middle East. at The British School in The Netherlands In 2016 the COBIS Games were hosted in with more than 200 students from 15 COBIS Dubai (Dubai College, Secondary Games) Member Schools taking part. After three and Kazakhstan (Haileybury Astana, Primary exciting days of basketball, athletics and Games) for 36 COBIS Member Schools. St football, The British School Al Khubairat were Saviour’s School, Ikoyi lifted the Championship crowned the victors, coming first in basketball Cup for the third consecutive year at the and athletics and second in football. Primary Games and The British School Al 2014 marked the beginning of the Secondary Khubairat were crowned champions of the Games and the first time the Games were Secondary Games. hosted outside of Europe, with The British The UK became home to the COBIS Primary School Al Khubairat hosting the third Primary and Secondary Games for the first time in Games and the British International School 2017, with more than 600 students from 44 Istanbul hosting the first ever Secondary teams attending. After some mighty battles Games. The Primary Games took place in in the pool, on the track and on the pitch, a Abu Dhabi at The British School Al Khubairat repeat of 2016 took place with St Saviour’s with 16 teams taking part. After three days School, Ikoyi winning the Primary Games and of gruelling competition, St Saviour’s School, The British School Al Khubairat winning the Ikoyi in Nigeria was crowned the Primary Secondary Games. winner for 2014. The Secondary Games 2018 sees the COBIS Secondary Games included 12 COBIS Member Schools for three returning to the world class facilities in days of athletics, football and swimming with Sheffield, where 23 teams will compete to St Catherine’s British School Athens taking become the COBIS Games Champions. home the trophy. COBIS Secondary Games Sheffield 2018 Berlin British School, The Berlin British School team is Russia, Canada, Columbia and extremely excited about competing of course Germany. The team is Germany in the COBIS Games competition. most looking forward to the football This will be the fifth time the school tournament, but it must be said, has competed, having previously slightly apprehensive about the been to Istanbul, Athens, Dubai swimming. They are also a very and Sheffield. Our team is truly friendly and sociable lot, who are international with students coming keen to meet and make friends with from Poland, China, USA, Tanzania, the other competing schools. British Embassy is renowned both inside and outside and make friends in these Games. Turkey. BESA has attended the We are sure that this year will School Ankara COBIS Games three times before be an even better and more fun and we are looking forward to experience for all attending the Established in 1959, the British participating in our fourth annual Games. We wish all other athletes Embassy School Ankara is a small Games. We have been training competing in the Games good luck school consisting of roughly 250 enthusiastically since the start of the and we wish for this year’s COBIS children. It provides the British year and all students participating Games to be as prosperous as the curriculum for ages 3-14 and its are eager to be able to compete previous years. reputation in academics and sport COBIS Secondary Games Sheffield 2018 British International It now has in the region of a changed - the swimming event in School, Cairo thousand pupils from FS to IB levels. Istanbul taking place in effectively As always, the school is delighted to a large greenhouse to the Sheffield take part in the Secondary Games Ponds Forge centre - but the ethos and this will be the fifth time we have of the Games remains the same. BISC was established in 1976 and taken part in the event. A number of Here’s hoping the athletics is a bit in 2008 moved from the centre of the older students often talk about drier this year though! Cairo to a purpose built campus in the inaugural games in Istanbul. The the Beverly Hills suburb of western location and the facilities may have Cairo. The British School play a major role in helping develop champions. These successes can the schools vision of providing a world be attributed to the hard work and Al Khubairat class British education, inspiring all our dedication of both staff and students The British School of Al Khubairat was students to exceed expectations. This and the continued support of parents established in 1968. His Highness has been highlighted in recent sporting within our school community. The team Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, successes at international tournaments. are very excited to join up with the the president of the UAE, has been The British School of Al Khubairat teams from around the world to make the sponsor of the school for over 35 are currently the COBIS Secondary new friends, share experiences and years. Physical Education and Sport and Under 13 and Under 15 BSME make lasting memories. COBIS Secondary Games Sheffield 2018 British School of Our talented Year 7 and 8 team teamwork and kindness. The comprises of students from a variety team has been busy training Bahrain of countries including USA, Spain, and fundraising for this trip by Egypt, Cyprus, Canada, Turkey, UK, approaching local companies and The British School of Bahrain are Oman, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.