The National Indoor Climbing Award Scheme (NICAS) has announced it will make a major investment in the GB Junior team for 2012 and 2013. Thanks to the new two-year deal, more young climbers will be able to compete in international events both in Europe and at the World Youth Championships in late August.

NICAS already has strong links with the GB Junior team. Several current team members including Tara Hayes, Molly Thompson-Smith and Buster Martin started climbing through NICAS and progressed through the scheme into the BMC Youth Climbing Series and into the GB Team.

These links have now been made even stronger as GB Juniors can now look forward to competing in events organised by the European Council of the International Federation of Sport Climbing and the World Youth Championships which in 2012 is being held in Singapore.

This new support improves the chances of more podium places for the GB Junior team. It also gives some younger less experienced the chance to compete on the international stage against some of the best young climbers in Europe.

In return for their investment, NICAS plans to involve GB Juniors in NICAS at a local level. Team members will be making appearances at local climbing walls across the country to encourage and coach young climbers who are working their way through NICAS -- and showing how NICAS can one day lead to a spot competing for their country on the GB team.

Rob Adie, Competitions Officer at the British Mountaineering Council said: “The team are looking forward to working with their new partners and are grateful for the finance that will allow them to compete more and train more this season and into the future.”

Adie said that the search for additional sponsors goes on. “The team always requires more support and if you or your company would be interested in supporting the GB Climbing team please click here to get in contact.”

The first event of the season for the GB Junior team was on home turf at the Edinburgh International Climbing Arena on the 18-20 May. The full team was present at this event, with a fantastic 6 climbers making the final. A full calendar of the IFSC junior events is available here.

www.nicas.co.uk

www.gbclimbingteam.co.uk

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