A COUNTDOWN challenge aimed to encourage more people to take up sport in the run up to London's 2012 Olympics was due to be launched in Sheffield today.
Stars from the English OpenTable Tennis Championships, currently taking place at the English Institute of Sport in Attercliffe, were set to mark the start of the countdown of the 1,000 days to the games.
To mark the milestone, Sheffield Internatio
nal Venues has launched a new initiative to get the same number of people taking up physical activity at its facilities across the city. Top female player Joanna Parker and England's number Paul Drinkhall were due to take time out from the competition to complete a 1,000 shot table tennis rally in just 20 minutes and 12 seconds.
A 'come and try it' table tennis zone has also been set up in the sports hall at EIS Sheffield during the championships, encouraging spectators to have a go themselves.
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