The fourth Oxfordshire Youth Games on Sunday proved a resounding success as hundreds of youngsters got a taste of a mini-Olympic style sports event for the first time.

More than 1,100 children from across the county came together to take part in what is regarded as one of the highlights of Oxfordshire’s sporting calendar.

Its aim is to inspire a new generation of youngsters to get more involved in sport, and to showcase the talent and skills that have been developed over recent months.

There were nine different sport competitions, ranging from athletics and cricket to gymnastics and basketball, with children from primary and secondary schools across each of the five districts of Oxfordshire competing against each other.

And, for the first time, the main Games took place at the prestigious Oxford University Sports Centre at Iffley Road which, as the home of Sir Roger Bannister’s first sub four-minute mile was in itself an inspiration to the youngsters taking part.

Gymnastics featured for the first time.

The day started with team warm-ups led by each team manager before teams competed their key step floor, body management and vault routines in three rotations. Cherwell wonwith a score of 515.

Musa Adu, an Olympic bronze medallist in the 400m in 2004, helped to present the trophies to the winners.

Adu, who also won bronze in the 2006 Commonwealth Games for Nigeria, is now a British citizen and will be representing Britain at London 2012.

Thousands of young people have benefited from the Games since its beginning in 2006 following the move away from the regional Thames Valley.

The multi-sports competition involves the Oxfordshire Sports Partnership, local authorities, and national governing bodies of sport working together.

Michelle Corbett, development manager of the Oxfordshire Sports Partnership, said: “It was an excellent day, very warm for a lot of the competitors, but we’ve had good feedback from many people about it.

“There was positive emphasis on the fun side of it. This was because a lot of the youngsters have never had any sports coaching or been part of any sports team.”