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London's Invictus Games 2014

Invictus Games 2014

From 10-14th September, London will host the inaugural Invictus Games, a Paralypmic-style multi sport event for wounded soldiers, which was brought to England by Prince Harry. Inspired by America's Warrior Games and named after the poem Invictus, the event will see service personnel compete in a number of different sports, including wheelchair basketball, sitting volleyball and indoor rowing.

The games were launched on 6 March 2014 by Prince Harry and will take place over five days in the Olympic Park.

Having seen a British team competing at the US Warrior Games held in Colorado in 2013, the Prince wished to bring the concept of a similar international sporting event to the UK. The event was put together over ten months with the backing of Mayor of London Boris Johnson, the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Ministry of Defence.

£1m of funding for the project was provided by the Royal Foundation, a charity established by Prince Harry along with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, with an equal amount being pledged by Chancellor George Osbourne from Treasury funds generated by fines imposed on banks as a result of the Libor scandal.

Invictus Games 2014

The Games will be sponsored by Jaguar Land Rover. At the launch of the Games, the Prince said they would "demonstrate the power of sport to inspire recovery, support rehabilitation and demonstrate life beyond disability". He also said that their long-term objective was to ensure injured troops are not forgotten as Britain's involvement in the War in Afghanistan comes to an end.

Around 300 competitors from 13 countries which have fought alongside the United Kingdom in recent military campaigns will participate. These include the United States, Australia, Canada, Germany, Denmark, New Zealand and Afghanistan. Competitive events will be held at many of the venues used during the 2012 Olympics, including the Copper Box and Lee Valley Sports Centre, and the Games will be broadcast by the BBC.

The Jaguar Land Rover Invictus Games Closing Concert will take place on Sunday 14 September at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. This star-studded event will mark the conclusion of the Invictus Games and will be headlined by Foo Fighters, as well as featuring sets from Kaiser Chiefs, Ellie Goulding, Ryan Adams, The Vamps, Rizzle Kicks, James Blunt, Diversity and Military Wives Choirs.

To get your hands on tickets, visit the website here.

Invictus Games 2014

(Written by Rachael Fletcher)