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| Prince Harry hopes UK can host games for injured troops | |
| (about 14 hours later) | |
| Prince Harry has said he hopes to bring America's Warrior Games for injured servicemen and women to the UK. | |
| The prince is in Colorado for the opening ceremony of the Paralympic-style games on the third day of his US tour. | |
| He said he believes the spectacle of ex-military athletes competing against each other would attract huge crowds. | |
| Almost 300 injured servicemen and women from the UK and US are competing in this year's games. | |
| Speaking at a Colorado Springs brunch at the United States Olympic Training Centre, the prince said that after meeting competitors last year he was determined to return and watch them compete. | |
| He said: "I only hope in the future, the near future we can bring the Warrior Games to Britain and continue to enlarge this fantastic cause. | |
| "I don't see how it wouldn't be possible to fill a stadium with 80,000 people, not to watch Olympics, not to watch Paralympics but to watch wounded servicemen fight it out amongst each other - not on a battlefield but in a stadium." | |
| Speaking about the six-day sporting event, the royal got a laugh from his audience when he joked: "I hope this is something you will all take a huge interest in as your nation will be coming probably second if not third to the UK team." | |
| The Warrior Games are hosted every year by the US Olympic Committee. | The Warrior Games are hosted every year by the US Olympic Committee. |
| The 35-strong UK squad is funded by military charity Help for Heroes. They will take part in archery, cycling, shooting, swimming, track and field, wheelchair basketball and sitting volleyball. | The 35-strong UK squad is funded by military charity Help for Heroes. They will take part in archery, cycling, shooting, swimming, track and field, wheelchair basketball and sitting volleyball. |
| Former press secretary to the Queen, Dickie Arbiter, said the games were a perfect fit for the prince. | |
| He said: "America loves a hero and Harry is a hero in their eyes. He's got all the charisma that's required to do the job. | He said: "America loves a hero and Harry is a hero in their eyes. He's got all the charisma that's required to do the job. |
| "He's good with servicemen, he is an active serviceman so there is an affinity between him and the people he's talking to. | "He's good with servicemen, he is an active serviceman so there is an affinity between him and the people he's talking to. |
| "I don't think yet we've seen the full potential of Harry. I think that's still to come but my goodness, he's doing a pretty good job at the moment." | "I don't think yet we've seen the full potential of Harry. I think that's still to come but my goodness, he's doing a pretty good job at the moment." |
| Martin Colclough, the charity's head of physical recovery, said: "We are delighted to once again fund a UK team in such a high profile US event and are looking forward to watching our athletes build on the tremendous successes from last year. | Martin Colclough, the charity's head of physical recovery, said: "We are delighted to once again fund a UK team in such a high profile US event and are looking forward to watching our athletes build on the tremendous successes from last year. |
| "Having supported athletes at both a grassroots and Paralympic level, we know how important physical activity is for encouraging confidence and independence after a life-changing injury or illness." | "Having supported athletes at both a grassroots and Paralympic level, we know how important physical activity is for encouraging confidence and independence after a life-changing injury or illness." |
| The prince, who has completed two tours of duty in Afghanistan as a co-pilot and gunner of Apache helicopters, began his seven-day tour by meeting Michelle Obama and joining her in honouring America's military mothers at a White House reception. | The prince, who has completed two tours of duty in Afghanistan as a co-pilot and gunner of Apache helicopters, began his seven-day tour by meeting Michelle Obama and joining her in honouring America's military mothers at a White House reception. |
| He has also visited an exhibition highlighting the work of a landmine charity supported by his mother, Princess Diana, and laid a wreath at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. | He has also visited an exhibition highlighting the work of a landmine charity supported by his mother, Princess Diana, and laid a wreath at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. |