A VETERAN athletics coach hopes this year’s Leigh Games will continue to build on the legacy of the London Olympics.

Joe Galvin, 70, said interest in athletics across the area was already at a high leading to a waiting list for junior membership at Leigh Harriers.

“It’s a fallacy that young people are not taking part in sport,” said Joe, chairman of the athletics club. “We’ve never had a waiting list before and we have had to find extra coaches to cope with the demand.”

Leigh Harriers is regularly welcoming 150 children trackside for its twice weekly training sessions. There are now 20 coaches coping with demand at the club in Turner Way.

It is just five weeks before the Leigh Games, which is set to involve young people in Leigh, Tyldesley, Atherton, Lowton, Golborne and further afield.

It will take place at Leigh Sports Village over two days – Monday, July 1 will be especially for primary schoolchildren, while Tuesday, July 2 is for high school students.

Everyone will be invited to Leigh Sports Village to help make the community event one to remember.

NBA Basketball legend John Amaechi, London 2012 Team GB wheelchair rugby captain Steve Brown and Olympic gold medallist Jason Gardener will be attending the games, which are being supported by supermarket Morrisons.

Joe, who helped organise a similar athletics event last year which attracted 5,000 children, said it would be a great opportunity for those taking part.

“We love athletics and we enjoy promoting the sport to children, especially through schools,” he said.

Leigh Harriers – whose members are aged from five to 82 – is organising the athletics events at the Leigh Games and will challenge young people of all ages to take part in a throw, sprint, distance and jump discipline.

Joe, from Astley, said he was looking forward to seeing more children taking part in sport. “That is what it is all about, giving them the opportunity in sport to achieve as much as they want to achieve,” he said.