Last Sunday the Olympics in Tokyo drew to a close – a games where Team GB won 65 medals and eight of them coming from Wales.

One of the highlights was Gwent’s Lauren Price taking gold in the boxing on the final day of competition.

Like many I am a big fan of the games. It’s not just because I am a keen sports person, but also because of the values it represents – internationalism, togetherness, and the importance of teamwork. We have seen this in abundance over the last few weeks.

As the MS for Newport East, access to sport and general health and wellbeing have always been a key priority. It’s why over the recess period, I have been supporting different sports and community groups and learning more about their work.

While not an Olympic sport, I recently attended an open day at Newport Cricket Club, which was all about increasing participation amongst boys and girls in our city’s black, Asian and ethnic minority communities.

Going forward I will be working with them to explore the options of an indoor training facility, so players of all ages can continue to train and play during the winter.

At the end of last month, I was also at one of Newport Live’s popular summer camps in Underwood. The young people there were playing games such as tennis, football and volleyball and it was great to see the smiles on the children’s’ faces.

As a regular user of the International Sports Village, I know a number of the coaches running these camps and I know they have a real enthusiasm for doing what they do.

As well as this, I have been working behind the scenes to support the organisers of ParkRun Cymru and ensure this popular activity can resume as soon as possible across Wales.

All being well, we are hoping the majority of these events will be able resume a week on Saturday (August 21).

Whether it’s swimming, cycling, running etc - there’s a sport for everyone.

We have seen that during the Olympics with the wide range of sports on show. Like with the previous games (especially London 2012), let’s hope Team GB will once again inspire the next generation of competitors. And who knows, a future Laura or Jason Kenny, might just be waiting to be discovered at our own fantastic Velodrome here in Newport.

Need John’s help? Call 01633 222302 or e-mail john.griffiths@senedd.wales