PREPARATIONS are underway for this year's Inverkeithing Highland Games.
Organisers have moved to stress that their event 'remains strong' after the collapse of similar events elsewhere in Scotland.
Director and track convener, Frank Coyle, said he was pleased the Inverkeithing event was unaffected.
"The recent collapse of the Cupar Highland Games committee and their subsequent highland games say, was a blow to supporters of highland games throughout the country," he said.
"The further demise of the Loch Lomond and Balloch Highland Games has only added to this concern.
"There is a recent trend, with most volunteer led organisations, for government and local council support to begin to dry up.
"This, along with COVID hangover problems and another trend for younger members of the community to avoid these organisations and focus on their own interests, such as mobile phone apps and computer games, poses a major threat to all volunteer led organisations.
"I am, however, pleased to report that none of the above has affected Inverkeithing Highland Games, whose committee remains strong and, by diligently focussing their fundraising activities on numerous, supportive local businesses, have avoided the pitfalls of government and council funding cuts."
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This year's event will take place on Saturday, August 3 at the Ballast Bank and will see two additions to the programme, a ladies' heavyweight contest and a 4 x 100 metre relay event.
The new ladies' competition will include shot put, hammer, tossing the caber, weight-for distance and weight-over-the bar events.
Highland dancing is expected to attract the usual, high number of adults and juniors. This provides a very popular, colourful and competitive spectacle with both dancing platforms likely to be fully used throughout the day.
The solo piping competition has proved to be increasingly popular over the past few years and is turning into a major attraction.
This year, expressions of interest mean that there are likely to be even more competitors than last year’s record number.
The open heavyweight competition remains one of the main attractions of the Inverkeithing games and has recently attracted an increasing number of young, heavyweight athletes.
This is set to increase again this year and, with the addition of the ladies competition, will provide a feast of entertainment for enthusiastic followers of this traditional highland heavyweight competition.
Inverkeithing has traditionally attracted a high number of track cyclist to compete on their full 400 metre, red ash track. This remains the only full 400 metre track of its kind in the Scottish Highland Games circuit, allowing the cyclist to reach increasingly fast speeds.
Frank added: "The annual Tug O’ War competition is also expected to attract the interest of the spectators, as each team battles to show which is the strongest and most proficient at this, most ancient of competitions.
"All in all, a veritable feast of entertainment being put on by the Inverkeithing Highland Games volunteers."
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