THE Youth Olympics are heading for Huddersfield.

Kirklees Council has backed plans to hold the Kirklees Olympics, a sports festival geared towards young people.

Plans put forward by the Tory group on the council have been approved and £110,000 is to be set aside to hold an event each year for the next three years.

These will include sports events involving primary and secondary schoolchildren, culminating in a high-profile, two-day sports festival at the Galpharm Stadium in June.

The events will include all schools throughout the area and embrace all major sports, such as athletics, swimming, cricket, rounders, netball and football.

The plans would involve the use of all major sporting venues and centres in the district, such as the Galpharm Stadium and Leeds Road Playing Fields in Huddersfield, the Rams Stadium in Dewsbury and Princess Mary's Playing Fields at Cleckheaton.

It is hoped the proposals will attract support from major sporting clubs and bodies and would involve all schools and junior sports bodies throughout the district.

A pilot event is to be held this year, with full implementation in 2007, building up to a major `Olympian' style event in 2008 to coincide with the next Olympic Games.

Conservative group leader Clr Robert Light said: "This event will be the first of its kind and a major boost for sport in Kirklees.

"Who knows, it may even lead to a youngster from the area achieving Olympic gold in London in 2012!

"It will require a great deal of organisation and thought, involving many sporting clubs and venues throughout the borough. But it is my hope that this will become a flagship event.

"The potential for this to grow is huge. The pilot scheme can only embrace a few sports because of time.

"But there is no reason why sports such as golf, tennis and cycling cannot be incorporated, especially if we can obtain the backing of local clubs and local professionals."