Member Article

Businesses come together in Coventry to compete in major sporting event

A major sporting festival in Coventry and Warwickshire aimed at bringing businesses together in friendly competition attracted over 2,200 participants despite biblical levels of rain.

The UK Corporate Games saw companies large and small compete in a variety of sports from football and running through to poker and dragon boat racing, across four days in August.

Although driving rain and wind threatened to dampen spirits on the Saturday of the Games, hundreds of teams turned out across the weekend for the Games’ 30th anniversary.

Banking giants Barclays finished top of the medal table with 45 overall medals – including 31 golds. Safran came second with 44 medals and 12 golds, while hosts University of Warwick took third with 41 medals and three golds.

Competitors also got a chance to let their hair down at the Games’ Welcome Festival and subsequent Great Games Party.

Doug White, Games Director, said: “It was an amazing weekend of sporting competition, and despite the weather everyone embraced the spirit of the Games and gave it their all.

“The beauty of the UK Corporate Games is that all sorts of businesses, from multinational corporations right through to local SMEs all compete together, also welcoming organisations from Turkey and Romania.

“And this was definitely seen in this year’s Games. While Barclays ended up topping the medal table, smaller firms like Coventry-based sport and culture organisation CV Life, Coventry-based PR agency PLMR Advent picked up medals, and local accountancy firm Armstrongs won the Men’s Soccer 5’s event, which are all fantastic achievements.

“It was also brilliant to see everyone enjoying the Welcome Festival and the Great Games Party outside of their events – the Games is not just about competition, it’s about bringing teams together to network and have fun.

“We have to thank the University of Warwick for being such superb hosts, and of course all the competitors who made this year’s Games so special. It was a wonderful way to mark our 30th anniversary.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Matt Joyce .