The Hampshire Games 2005, which will provide thousands of young people with the chance to compete in a range of sports, is again being sponsored by Network Rail.

The dates for the Hampshire Mini Games, Hampshire Parallel Games and Hampshire Youth Games have now been confirmed.

Co-ordinated by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Sports Partnership, the games enabled almost 3,000 young people to compete from the county last year and similar numbers are expected this year.

On 21 May, the fifth annual Hampshire Mini Games will take place at Southampton Outdoor Sports Centre.

The event will give many under-11s their first positive experience of competitive action in a multi-sports festival, including tennis, football, hockey, athletics, netball, swimming, badminton and tag rugby.

The Hampshire Parallel Games, which was set up as a pilot in 2003, proved such a success it has now become a permanent fixture on the Hampshire Games timetable.

On June 24 at the Aldershot Military Sports Facilities, 11-16s with learning or physical disabilities from special schools across the county will compete in athletics, football, boccia, new age kurling and basketball.

At the same venue on June 25, the Hampshire Youth Games sees youngsters between 11 and 16 competing in athletics, badminton, basketball, football, hockey, netball, rugby, squash, table tennis and tennis.

The event, now in its eighth year, is the largest youth sporting event in the county.