New research has shown the scale of the challenge facing the government and London 2012 organisers to meet their promise to "inspire a generation" to play more sport, with eight in 10 people saying the Games have not yet had an effect on their exercise habits.

The ComRes findings accompany a new joint report by the independent Sports Think Tank and theology thinktank Theos, which claims that "no recent Olympic Games has produced proven economic benefits to the host country or city".

On Friday, the culture secretary, Jeremy Hunt, insisted the government would not walk away from promises made when London won the right to host the Games that it would inspire more people to play more sport.

While accepting that it was "a big challenge", he said that £1bn invested over five years through Sport England would help boost participation figures, particularly among the young. New figures show that while participation rates for those over 26 have risen in the past year, among under 25-year-olds they continue to fall.

The government has also claimed that the Games will boost tourism numbers by 4 million and result in a £1bn boost for inward investment.

Owen Gibson | The Guardian

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