Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:53 pm on 2 March 2022.
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Can I thank John for leading the debate this afternoon and for Jayne's contribution as well? I recognise John's passion for sport and leisure, and Jayne's, actually—she's a big rugby and football fan, I know—but certainly John has always been a strong champion for the various clubs and sporting facilities in his constituency, and I think he enunciated that quite eloquently this afternoon, or this evening.
I'd just like to start my response by stating that supporting our community sports clubs and events across Wales is a priority for this Government at both elite level and community level. Investing in our nation's sports facilities is also a personal commitment of mine, so that we can unlock more of our potential talent as a nation. Our investment at elite level, investing in world-class sports facilities to support our nation's sporting success on the global stage, is key to inspiring the next generation.
In Newport and the surrounding areas, I'd like to think that we can unearth this generation to emulate the likes of Olympian sprinters Christian Malcolm, who Jayne has already mentioned, and Jamie Baulch; Commonwealth gold medallist boxer Sean McGoldrick; Paralympian archer Pippa Britton, a world medallist and a key member of the Sport Wales board; Kyron Duke, a Para world silver medallist in javelin and shotput; footballer Chris Gunter, with more than 100 international caps for Wales; Paralympic gold-medal swimmer Liz Johnson; rugby players Taine Basham and Aaron Wainwright; or Cerys Hale, one of our groundbreaking women, who's recently received a Welsh international rugby contract. I could go on, but I think it's fair to say that Newport has produced its share of Welsh talent over the years, and I'm sure that that will continue.