A teenage skateboarder has successfully campaigned for the sport be added to school qualifications. Osian George, 15, said he was “very happy” to see skateboarding added to the approved list for GCSE sports in Wales.
Osian, from Cross Hands in Carmarthenshire, won’t benefit but said he’s pleased others will. Qualifications Wales has added 13 new sports to the approved list for GCSE PE including skateboarding.
“I can’t believe it’s happened and they’ve added skateboarding,” he said. The Ysgol Dyffryn Aman pupil began his campaign two years ago after choosing sport as one of his three GCSE options only to be told skateboarding wasn’t included.
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He wrote to the Welsh Government and exam chiefs in protest. The teenager, who skateboards every day and came second in last year’s Urban Games in Cardiff, said skateboarding should have equal status to traditional sports.
“After I picked GCSE sport as an option and found out I couldn’t do skateboarding for it I started campaigning. I would describe myself as very sporty and I don’t think it’s fair skateboarding wasn’t on the list because it’s as much a sport as traditional things like football and rugby and is in the Olympics.
“Skateboarding is definitely a sport. It gets you fit, is good for balance, and takes years to do. I dropped out of sport PE because I couldn’t do skateboarding for it. But I am proud other people will now benefit.
“I think having it in GCSE will make sport more inclusive for more people. My mum gave me my first skateboard when I was four and I have loved it ever since.”
Osian’s mum Kat Davies said she was “very proud” of her son’s campaign and his skateboarding skills. Exam board WJEC said: “We are pleased that Qualifications Wales has broadened the range of sports to be included in the new Made-for-Wales GCSE in physical education which will be available to centres from September 2026.
"WJEC is committed to offering a new suite of inclusive, engaging, and diverse qualifications which will include the reformed GCSE in physical education. We are confident that these new qualifications will enable centres to embed the Curriculum for Wales and offer learners new and exciting experiences.”
