Gardener, who won gold as part of the triumphant 4 x 100m relay team at the 2004 Athens Olympics, owed much of his career to the foundations laid down by being a successful junior, which is just one of the reasons he is excited at being involved in the 2010 Sainsbury's UK School Games.

"I am delighted to be here in North East England helping to launch the Sainsbury's UK School Games. I have competed many times in this region and the level of facilities the region has to offer are first class.

"As a young athlete trying to forge a career in elite sport, I would have loved to have been able to mix with hundreds of other athletes, learn from them and compete on a national stage against the best in my age group.

"These are exactly the opportunities the Sainsbury's UK School Games in North East England are going to present each competitor, which will stand them in tremendous stead as they look to grow in their sport."

Over 1,600 elite school aged athletes will descend upon North East England from the 2 - 5 September 2010. Cycling will join athletics, badminton, fencing, gymnastics, hockey, judo, swimming, table tennis and volleyball with disability events in swimming, athletics and table tennis which include a learning disability component. The games form part of a wider focus on increasing competitive sporting opportunities for all and are a key strand of the PE and Sport Strategy for Young People.

Some of the best venues in the region will host the sports including Gateshead International Stadium, Newcastle University, the new sports centre at Northumbria University and Sunderland Aquatic Centre.

Chief Executive of the Youth Sport Trust, Steve Grainger, commented: "It's a pleasure to be here in the North East today to officially launch the 2010 Sainsbury's UK School Games and offer a taste of the excitement we can expect come September when this four day multi-sport event gets underway.

"With London 2012 a little over two years away, it is an incredibly exciting time for sport in the UK. The Sainsbury's UK School Games has a huge role to play in developing the competitive sporting opportunities there are for thousands of young people and also highlighting the opportunities there are for young people to officiate and volunteer in sport."

Councillor Mick Henry from Gateshead Council, the lead partner in the Sainsbury's UK School Games partner consortium said: "We are delighted that all the North East Partners have joined together to host the Sainsbury's UK School Games North East England, which will inspire and engage young people to participate in competitive sport.

"In the build-up to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Sainsbury's UK School Games offer a fantastic opportunity for our leading school-aged athletes to compete against the very best in their sport and to get vital early experience of an elite multi-sport event environment.

"North East England has a rich history of producing great athletes who have excelled at Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games level, and we are proud to be associated with an event that will help nurture the elite senior athletes and champions of the future.

"I hope that during their stay the competitors, support staff, supporters and their families will enjoy the warm North East England welcome, experience our wide range of attractions, and above all, our enduring passion for sport."

Today, Sainsbury's announced a deal to become headline sponsor of the UK School Games.

Gwyn Burr, Sainsbury's Customer Director, said: "Sainsbury's shares the Youth Sport Trust's belief in the power of sport to help young people gain the skills and experience which are not just important in sport, but in everyday life. Life is competitive and sport offers young people opportunities to learn how to win and lose, work in a team and strive to be the best they can be.

"The UK School Games captures everything that is good about young people wanting to compete, volunteer and officiate in sport. We are extremely proud to be helping young people of all ages and abilities to participate in activity and sport at every level through our Active Kids scheme, our TOP activity programme and now our sponsorship of the UK School Games."

In 2006 The UK School Games received a £6 million grant from Legacy Trust UK. As an event which fully encompasses sport, education and culture, the UK School Games was one of Legacy Trust UK's first projects. In addition to the Legacy Trust UK, the UK School Games has a consortium of North East partners who will assist with the staging of the games. These include Gateshead, Newcastle and Sunderland Councils, NewcastleGateshead Initiative along with One North East who are providing funding support, Northumbria and Newcastle University who are supplying sport facilities and accommodation.

Moira Swinbank, Chief Executive of Legacy Trust UK, said "Legacy Trust UK are proud to be funding the UK School Games and we are thrilled that Sainsbury's are making such a significant contribution to the Games. By funding these Games, we are helping to ensure that young athletes from around the country have the opportunity to experience high-level sporting competition early in their lives."