Special Olympics Ireland will be represented by a team of 126 athletes and 49 coaches at the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Athens, Greece in June.
The Irish Sports Council will support their participation with an additional grant of €265,000, representing 75% of the total estimated cost of attendance.
The 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games will take place in Athens from 25 June to 4 July 2011.
Hosted successfully by Ireland in 2003, it is the major event in the Special Olympics calendar.
The competition is run on a four year cycle with athletes progressing from Area to Regional to Special Olympics Ireland Games and finally to World Games, whereupon the cycle commences again.
Currently Special Olympics Ireland has 10,690 people with an intellectual disability registered as participants in their programmes.
From this community of athletes, 126 athletes have qualified to represent Ireland in Athens in the following sports; Aquatics (11), Athletics (12), Badminton (4), Bocce (6), Bowling (8), Basketball (20), Equestrian (5), Football 5-a-side (20) and Football 11-a-side (16), Golf (6), Gymnastics (8), Kayaking (4) and Table Tennis (6).
There will be a total of 49 coaches and official delegates accompanying the athletes bringing the total delegation size to 175.
Chairman of the Irish Sports Council Kieran Mulvey said: ‘The Council is delighted to support the Irish Team at the Special Olympics World Games this summer.
‘It is hugely important that the Irish team is given the opportunity to prepare and compete to the best of their ability and to know that they will represent Ireland with the full support of Irish sport and the whole community’.
Matt English, CEO of Special Olympics Ireland added: ‘On behalf of Team Ireland, I want to thank the Irish Sports Council for this support which will ensure that Ireland is proudly represented by athletes and support staff at the most important event in the Special Olympics calendar.’
