Games tsar to ensure legacy of London 2012 Olympics

The government is to counter criticism that it is failing to deliver on the promises that helped win the 2012 Olympic Games for London by appointing a "sports legacy tsar", to get more people participating in sport and help attract private sector investment.

Ministers are looking for a high-profile figure who could be a former Olympic athlete or an influential name who has experience of running a sporting body.

With the Olympic flame due to be lit in the new stadium in Stratford, east London, three years from tomorrow, there is increasing optimism that organisers will deliver the games on time and within the £9.3bn budget, despite the impact of the recession. But opposition MPs and senior sports figures have told the Guardian that there remain serious questions over the legacy of the 2012 Games. In particular, there are concerns over promises to use the Olympics to increase sporting activity and fight obesity.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN