JAPAN, China, Spain, and Romania were among 15 countries represented on a Nelson school playground yesterday to recreate the Olympics.

Youngsters at Marsden Community Primary School, in Percy Street, celebrated the official opening of their £1million sports hall with their own 'take' on the event.

Inspired by athletes in Athens, they held their own mini-Olympics -- complete with opening ceremony -- when youngsters waving the flags of their adopted nations gathered in front of the new hall to watch Pakistan international cricketer Mohammad Asif Mujtaba cut the ribbon.

Chairman of governors, Simon Husband, is delighted with the new building, which will also be used for performing arts and be open to the community.

He said: "It's wonderful. After years of struggling to provide the right facilities for PE, this is brilliant."

Marsden began the project three years ago and headteacher Janet Taylor, who applied to the Lottery for funding, said the school hopes to be creating Olympians of the future.

She said: "Our aim is to get kids to join local clubs and have some clubs based here. We do all the usual sports and then judo, tae kwondo, table tennis, basket ball, and volley ball.

"The kids are so excited. The building's been on and off, up and down, and plans have changed, but it is great to finally have it here."

Students from Walshaw High School, in Burnley, helped organise the mini-Olympics as part of the Community Sports Leaders Award.

Lancashire County Council cabinet member for education, Alan Whittaker, hopes the new building will help promote sport in the community.

He said: "I came down here before the foundations were laid and it was just a rough site. I can't believe the transformation.

"Every child matters and there's real evidence of that here -- and what a facility for the community.

"With young people today sport is important. Here we are post-Olympics with all that euphoria, and hopefully it will encourage young people to participate in sport."