HAMPSHIRE is to host one of the world's largest ever celebrations of youth sport.

The first youth "Olympics" will be held in Southampton in August 2000 - and will be one of Britain's premier millennium celebration events. More than 7,000 youngsters and their families will flock to the area, bringing in millions of pounds worth of revenue to the local economy.

To make the dream a reality £1 million is to be spent revamping Southampton's outdoor sports centre in Bassett. A further £900,000 has been offered to the city council to stage it from national lottery funds.

It is a stunning coup for Hampshire, which already boasts an impressive list of attractions to mark the dawn of THE 21st century. These include the BT Global Challenge round-the-world yacht race, the Tall Ships 2000 in April, the Seawings 2000 airshow in June and the Nightfire fireworks extravaganza on New Year's Eve.

Sport England - formerly the Sports Council - is to announce tomorrow that Southampton has been asked to stage the BAA Millennium Youth Games next year. It will be a four-day Olympic-style event involving eight sports.

Children aged ten to 16 will be able to compete in swimming, tennis, hockey, netball, athletics, football, basketball and girls' rugby.

Sports facilities inside the city and beyond will be called into play, including Fleming Park in Eastleigh - but the centre stage will be Southampton's outdoor sports centre.

Most of the competing youngsters will be put up in university and school accommodation, but visiting families and spectators are expected to fill hotels and guesthouses through the city and surrounding area.

The national finals of the BAA Millennium Youth Games - from August 17 to the 20 - will be the culmination of a series of sports events across the UK involving 250,000 youngsters.

City council leisure chief Julian Price said: "We are very pleased we've been given this opportunity and we look forward to the Games coming to Southampton, providing we can resolve everything to everyone's benefit."

Sport England spokeswoman Mary Fitzhenry said: "It's a huge thing for Southampton. I'm not even sure Southampton realises how big this will be." Formal permission to stage the competition must still be granted by the city council at a meeting in June.

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