UNIVERSITY students gave some hands-on tuition — when they introduced the Olympic sport of handball to local youngsters.

Sport development and coaching students at the University of Bolton organised a tournament for pupils at Masefield Primary School, Little Lever, St Matthews CE Primary School, Halliwell, and St Peter and Paul RC School, Bolton.

Oliver Kay, Year Four teacher and sport co-ordinator at St Peter and Paul’s CE, said: “I think the students have done a brilliant job putting this together.

“I came across them a couple of times during the organisation and they’ve worked really hard, it’s been amazing.”

Although handball is played in many countries across Europe, it is not widely known in Britain and was chosen because it was a chance to introduce a new sport to children.

The event was organised by second year students at the university as part of their project management module.

The module aims to give the students an insight into the practicalities of running a sports event, rather than just the theory.

Senior lecturer in sports coaching Mark Moran said: “The idea is that the students have organised everything with each of them taking on a different role. From organising the medals to refereeing the games, the students have done all the work.

“The module introduces the students to real world organisation, which is a valuable skill.”

The aim of the tournament was to promote handball’s Olympic legacy of encouraging young children to engage in more sporting activities and enjoy a healthier lifestyle.

The winners were St Peter and Paul Primary RC School, who received medals, with all other participants receiving certificates.