Irish Paralympic Team to Hold Pre Games Training Camp in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland Assembly Sports Minister Carلl Nي Chuilيn has announced that the Ireland Paralympics team will hold a pre games Training Camp in Northern Ireland.

The team will hold a multisport training camp at the Antrim Forum in the run up to the 2012 Paralympic Games. The Minister was joined by Sport Northern Ireland Chair Dominic Walsh, Disability Sport Northern Ireland Chair Angela Hendra - along with representatives from Paralympics Ireland and Antrim Borough Council - in making the announcement.

The training camp in Northern Ireland next June is part of a series of multisport training camps being organized by Paralympics Ireland to prepare the Irish Team for London 2012. Three further camps sponsored by Renault Ireland are planned at the University of Limerick as well as the final pre-Games Holding Camp in Coimbra, Portugal from where the Irish Team will travel to London. This is the first time that Paralympics Ireland will hold one of its training camps in the North.

Sports Minister Carلl Nي Chuilيn said: "I welcome the news that Paralympics Ireland have decided to use the facilities in the north for their pre-Games training. It comes at a time of building excitement around the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

"Today we announce that the Paralympics Ireland team will train here next summer. I am encouraged that the team chose the north, and wish the athletes every success in their preparations. I hope these facilities will be the springboard to Paralympic achievement and medal-winning performances at the Games. I congratulate the work and professionalism of Disability Sport NI, who have been instrumental in making this happen."

Chief Executive Officer Paralympics Ireland Liam Harbison added: "We are delighted to announce that the Irish Paralympic Team will have its first ever training camp in Northern Ireland next June in the final build up to the London 2012 Paralympic Games. The decision to use the fine facilities in Antrim has been on the back of the great work of Disability Sport Northern Ireland and Antrim Borough Council in ensuring the elite athletes preparation requirements will be matched by top class training venues in Northern Ireland."

Disability Sports NI Chairperson and former Paralympic medallist Angela Hendra said: 'We are delighted at this announcement that the Irish Paralympic Team for London 2012 will hold a pre-Games training camp in Northern Ireland.

"The camp, like the recent 2011 Boccia World Cup held at Jordanstown, is just one of a series of camps, tournaments and education projects being held in Northern Ireland in the build up to London 2012, all designed to help Disability Sports NI in its development work, by getting the message out there that people with disabilities have abilities and talents like everyone else in society, and can and indeed do lead full and active lives."

Lord Coe, chairman of the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games, also welcomed the announcement, saying, "Pre-Games preparations are vital to allow every athlete to compete to their very best on the world's biggest sporting stage. Every time I have visited Northern Ireland I am struck by its passion for sport and London 2012, so I know Paralympics Ireland have made a great choice. This is real recognition for the quality of Northern Ireland's facilities and I look forward to it leaving a legacy for the people of Antrim too."