LEGEND'S GOAL TO CHANGE LIVES IN WALES

WELSH football legend Gareth Bale says he hopes to change lives as he stepped up his commitment to promoting sporting opportunities for young people in Wales.

- JOHN JONES

Now in its fourth year, the annual Gareth Bale Festival of Sport returned to the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport this weekend to provide more than 100 children from some of the most under-served communities in South Wales with the chance to try their hand at a wide variety of sports, including golf, skateboarding, cricket and many more.

The event, which is organised by sports charity StreetGame, Wales Golf and CAA Sports with support from the R&A, is aimed at breaking down barriers to sport for youngsters in Wales, with children and young people living in low income, underserved communities less active than their more affluent peers.

Bale, who retired from football in 2023 as his country’s all-time leading goal scorer and a five-time Champions League winner, was in attendance as the festival got under way yesterday and spoke of his pride at seeing the event go from strength to strength.

“For me, it's about giving back now that my career’s over, and being able to give more underprivileged kids an opportunity to try different sports,” he said.

“To change a couple of lives would be incredible.

“But even if they try different things and come out of it having really enjoyed a new sport which they take further and make new friends and have a better way of life, that’s the reason why we do these things.