Courtesy: www.uefa.com


Saudi Arabia seal golden glory
Saturday, 28 June 2003

Saudi Arabia provided welcome cheer on a rainy afternoon at Belfield, as they notched up their sixth consecutive victory to take the gold medal in Division One of the men's five-a-side competition on Friday.

Two groups
The competing sides in the tournament were divided into groups based on their ability at the beginning of the week, with the finals taking place on Friday and Saturday.

Glory for Saudi Arabia
Division One was decided by a match between Italy and the flamboyant Saudi Arabians and by half-time there was no doubt which team would be taking home the gold medal. Goals from Abdullah Al Dosari, Naif Al Dosari and a hat-trick from the inspirational Omer A Kaseer put the Saudis in an unassailable position despite the valiant attempts of a spirited Italian side.

Israeli experience counts
The Division Two decider was slightly more competitive, with Israel eventually overcoming Bosnia Herzegovina 3-0. The older and more physical Israeli side dominated possession, and imposing defender Nissim Bachar put them in front before half-time. Ethiopian-born Shimshon Chokol dazzled the crowd after the break, adding two more goals to secure victory for the Israelis.

Home success
The biggest cheer of the day accompanied the second-string Irish side who won the bronze medal in Division 9 after an emphatic 6-0 win against Luxembourg. Gold medal in that group went to Libya who struggled past Lesotho 3-2 in a close encounter. Guatemala took Division 8 gold after a 3-0 win against Austria.

Historic victory
Zimbabwe were crowned female champions, celebrating being the first African side to compete in the women's event by taking the gold medal by virtue of a 3-0 win against Great Britain 3. The two sides had drawn in the league stages but on this occasion the British had no response to the slick interchange and technical ability of the Zimbabweans.

Two for Nilsson
Sweden defeated Morocco 6-2 to take gold medal in unified Division Two, with the hero being Daniel Nilsson who found the target twice in the second half. The unified Division Three gold went to an ecstatic Cyprus side, who easily defeated Egypt 5-1.

Final-day drama
Saturday sees the final day of competition at Belfield, with the remaining divisions to be decided. Notable clashes to look forward to include the Division 3 gold medal clash of Barbados and China and the Division 5 decider between Gibraltar and Canada.


Summer sun shines on Games
Thursday, 26 June 2003

It was another exciting day of action in Dublin on Wednesday, with the groups in the Special Olympics World Games five-a-side football tournament beginning to take shape.

Murphy hat-trick
From 9:30am at a scorching Belfield, huge numbers of spectators enjoyed the glorious weather, with the Republic of Ireland and Great Britain drawing a large crowd for their match. In the end, a thrilling encounter finished 4-4, with Ireland's star striker John Murphy scoring a hat-trick and celebrating with style by throwing his shirt into a group of adoring fans. Later on in the day, however, Ireland went down 3-0 to a youthful and impressive Belarus side.

Vogelin the star
Switzerland celebrated with a lap of honour when they finally got off the mark by virtue of a 4-2 victory over Japan in the afternoon. Goalkeeper Patrick Vogelin was in excellent form in keeping the Asian side out, while Matthias Scheuer and Michael Brenneisen delivered the goals to give the exuberant Swiss victory.

Impressive teams
Saudi Arabia continue to impress in the top group after registering 5-0 and 4-1 victories over Paraquay and Italy respectively. Israel have been similarly impressive, particularly during a 6-0 win over Bosnia Herzegovina.

Carnival atmosphere
One of the most entertaining games of the day was a match of extreme quality and considerable edge between Slovakia and Czech Republic which ended in a Slovakian victory. Off the pitch, the exuberant sideline dancing and singing of Uganda and South Africa created something of a carnival atmosphere suited to the weather.

Livingstone watching
The Ugandan morale was significantly boosted by the presence of Charles Mbabazi Livingstone, a key member of their national side and one of only two Ugandan professionals playing in Europe. Livingstone plies his trade with local club Saint Patricks' Athletic FC, who have invited the Ugandan side to their next game with Waterford United FC on Monday. In addition, the travelling Ugandans were each awarded a St Patrick's jersey which national hero Livingstone dutifully signed.

Famous fans
The Ugandan side were not the only team to benefit from a well- known national celebrity from their homeland. Eric Lavine of Longford Town FC was on hand to support Barbados, who again enjoyed a wonderful day with the outstanding Joseph Browne on top form. Bray Wanderers FC defender Wes Charles, who hails from St Vincent, was also on hand to cheer on his compatriots.


Games players take a break
Wednesday, 25 June 2003

It was a relatively quiet day in footballing terms at the Special Olympics World Games in Dublin on Tuesday, as the five-a-side players at Belfield enjoyed a day off, while there was only half a day's play at the AUL venue, where unified football took centre stage.

Promoting teamwork
The unified competition allows athletes with and without mental retardation to compete as partners, promoting teamwork and inclusion opportunities in a competitive sport event.

Strong position
Georgia and Germany are currently in a strong position in Division 1 of the unified competition after victories over Serbia and Montenegro and Belgium. In Division 2, the early pace-setters are Austria, France and Lebanon.

O'Reilly coaches
Republic Of Ireland assistant manager Noel O'Reilly was on hand at the venue, hosting a two-hour coaching school with the competing teams. O'Reilly is an acclaimed coach who has been involved with victorious Irish sides in recent UEFA European Championships at Under-16 and Under-18 level.

Irish defeat
Meanwhile, in the male eleven-a-side competition, it was a bad day for hosts Ireland, who endured a 10-0 defeat at the hands of a strong Germany side. Despite the backing of a decent crowd, the Germans displayed confidence on the ball and a sharp eye in front of goal which the Irish side simply could not match.

Impressive Germany
Germany's second side also impressed in their game with Great Britain, and it appears that the Germans are more suited to the eleven-a-side format, having endured mixed fortunes over the weekend in the five-a-side tournament at Belfield.

Variety of events
Enjoying their afternoon off, the footballers had the opportunity to visit a variety of events, which included horse-racing at Leopardstown, a specially organised shopping trip or a trip to the Festival Village at the RDS. The village offers a wide range of facilities, including demonstrations from the large number of sponsors associated with the event, which include UEFA and the Football Association of Ireland.

Delegation arrives
Meanwhile, the final competing delegation eventually arrived in Dublin on Tuesday, when Chinese Taipei landed in Dublin Airport during the afternoon after being taken off the SARS alert list.


Sweet start for Cyprus
Tuesday, 24 June 2003

The first day of five-a-side competition at the special Olympics World Games on Monday entertained a sizeable crowd at sunny Belfield in Dublin on Monday, with a number of the smaller nations impressing spectators that included Republic Of Ireland international manager Brian Kerr.

Exciting Barbados
Barbados proved to be one of the most exciting sides on show, starting their day with a keenly fought 4-4 draw with Algeria. The Caribbean nation then went on to comfortably defeat Spain 9-1 in their afternoon match. The impressive Joseph Browne and Dwayne Springer each scored a hat-trick in a one-sided encounter.

Competitive game
One of the more competitive games of the day was the Group 6 clash between Trinidad and Tobago and the Netherlands. Again, the European team ended up on the wrong end of a losing scoreline with Trinidad taking the spoils 6-3. Tall striker Jermaine Saunders was the key factor in the victory, coming off the bench to score four goals in a technically impressive encounter. Teenager Nedjed Bekoun shone for the Dutch, scoring twice and generally causing havoc every time he ventured forward.

Cypriot successes
One European nation who did enjoy a good day were Cyprus whose men's team defeated the USA 3 side 6-1 in their morning match. Later on the Cypriot mixed side defeated Egypt 3-0. Cheered on by a noisy band of supporters, the Cypriots proceeded to dance around the grounds of the campus proclaiming their victory.

Vocal support
The largest and most vocal support of the afternoon unsurprisingly accompanied the Irish side in their clash with Zimbabwe. The host nation conceded an early goal to the Zimbabweans, who had earlier lost 2-1 to Great Britain, and despite the urgings of the home crowd, the spirited Irish could not find a way past the Zimbabwean keeper for the rest of the game. Both sides left the field to a rousing reception.

Better fortunes
The Dutch women enjoyed better fortunes than their male counterparts, with their number 1 and 2 sides both triumphing over the USA 1 team in the morning and afternoon respectively. Germany and Zimbabwe also started well in the women's tournament, taking full points from the first day's play.

McMenemy coaching
At the other end of the playing area, away from the action, former England assistant manager and Northern Ireland boss Lawrie McMenemy was involved in the training ground where each team received a coaching session to hone their talents ahead of their matches.

Successful start
All in all, the weather and the high level of skill on show made it an extremely successful start to the competitive element of the five-a-side football tournament. While it may be too early in the tournament to judge, the strong performances of the African and Caribbean sides would suggest that they could well walk away with the major medals come the end of the week.


Dublin set for soccer showpiece
Monday, 23 June 2003

Competition in the football tournament at the Special Olympics World Games started in earnest on Monday, after a weekend of preliminary matches. The process, known as divisioning, is used to establish rankings between teams of varying skills and ability.

Four tournaments
Round matches began in the four football tournaments of eleven-a-side, five-a-side and mixed eleven and five-a-side. The five-a-side competitions are taking place in Belfield, while the eleven-a-side competitions unfold in the Athletic Union League complex at Clonshaugh.

High skill levels
The weekend brought the opening of proceedings, and spectators at Belfield included Republic Of Ireland goalkeeping coach Packie Bonner. The former Celtic FC custodian expressed his admiration for the players on show and their high skill levels and tipped the impressive Croatian five-a-side team for gold medal glory.

Rain dance
The real crowd pleasers, however, were the South African side whose extravagant goal celebrations amused the large crowd. Before their game against the United States, the South Africans performed a rain dance and proceeded to repeat the formula after every goal in a comprehensive victory.

Australian hope
The Australian teams will also be expecting to do well after impressing in the divisioning tournament. Cheered on by a voiciferous band of supporters, the Australians and young star Jeremy Jones will be anticipating a successful week.

Surprise visitor
Those athletes taking a break from the action were well catered for at the Festival Village back in the Royal Dublin Society site at Ballsbridge. Live music entertained athletes, friends and families but the highlight of the day was when boxing legend Muhammad Ali made a surprise visit to the health centre.

Fashion show
The 2003 World Games Fashion Show, featuring the designs of Louise Kennedy, Lainey Keogh, Richard Lewis, Peter O'Brien, John Rocha and Mariad Whisker, also took place on Sunday, offering free admission to all spectators. While the competition proper starts on Monday, the football finals are scheduled for Saturday at Belfield and Sunday at Clonshaugh.


Sea of colour launches Special Olympics Games
Sunday, 22 June 2003

The eleventh Special Olympics World Games were spectacularly launched in Dublin last night with a stunning opening ceremony that created a carnival atmosphere to launch the 2003 renewal of the games.

Noise, colour and celebration
The home of Gaelic football, Croke Park, was transformed from a football stadium into an amphitheatre of noise, colour and celebration as delegations from 166 countries packed the North Dublin venue. The evening marked the end of a 15,000 mile journey across Europe for the Special Olympic 'Flame Of Hope', which was eventually ignited to launch the official opening of the week-long event.

Sea of colour
Amid a sea of colour, the athletes paraded around the stadium, with the late entrants to the competition, Afghanistan, leading the way. All five continents were represented, with teams and countries of various shapes and sizes accompanied in their lap of honour by representatives of the towns that had hosted them for the previous five days.

Warm reception
A vibrant array of flags welcomed each country's athletes to the stadium, with a warm reception for each delegation from the massive American squad right down to smaller teams such as Barbados and their four Olympians. The diversity of countries on show was demonstrated by the variety of dress, from the traditional garb of Iran, Qatar and Pakistan to the bright costumes and allure of Mauritius, Lesotho and Tajikistan.

Evening of entertainment
The introduction of the athletes was followed by an evening of entertainment that celebrated both the very best of Irish culture, and the powerful emotions of pride and joy inspired by the games themselves. A number of national and international celebrities such as Pierce Brosnan, Blackburn Rovers FC and Republic of Ireland international Damien Duff, Ireland manager Brian Kerr, Ronan Keating, Jon Bon Jovi and actor Colin Farrell and Arnold Schwarzenegger played a role in proceedings. Yet, on this occasion, their role was minor as the Olympians deservedly took the limelight and enjoyed their moment of glory.

'Never forget'
Irish president Mary McAleese spoke about the magnitude of the occasion. "Ireland is famous for its warm welcomes, but never in the history of this country has there been a bigger and better welcome than the one prepared for the world's best special athletes. We are at the start of a week that none of us will ever forget," she said.

'If you seek courage'
Founder of the Special Olympics movement, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, asked the audience to remember the 170 million people with intellectual disabilities around the world that were unable to attend on the evening, and encouraged people worldwide to marvel at the wonder of the games. "If you seek joy, come and see the Special Olympics," she said. "If you seek courage, come and see the athletes of the Special Olympics".

'Potential for greatness'
International rock group U2 brought the crowd to their feet and climaxed their performance by introducing Nelson Mandela to a rousing reception. Addressing the athletes, Mandela stated: "You remind us of the potential for greatness that is alive in every one of us".

Olympics oath
An epic rendition of the official anthem of the 2003 Special Olympics, "May We Never Say Goodbye", concluded the evening after the lighting of the 'Flame Of Hope' and Mandela officially declaring the games to be open. After an enthralling, awe- inspiring evening of celebration, filled with light, spirit and fanfare, the enduring memory remains the sentiment expressed in the oath taken by all the athletes which defines the meaning of these games. "Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt".


Games get under way in Ireland
Saturday, 21 June 2003

Events are under way in Dublin, where Ireland is hosting the eleventh version of the Special Olympics World Games. Qualification events in a number of sports began early this morning, although the official opening of the games took place this evening at a spectacular opening ceremony in Croke Park. The Special Olympics organisation is involved in a close and fruitful relationship with UEFA as one of the members of the European football body's charity portfolio.

Largest sporting event
The 2003 Special Olympics is the largest sporting event taking place in the world this year, with 7,000 athletes, 3,000 coaches and delegates and 28,000 families and friends from 166 countries descending upon Ireland for the event. This year's renewal is particularly noteworthy as it is the first time the event has taken place outside the United States of America.

Wide variety
The games include a wide array of sports, with athletes competing in aquatics, athletics, badminton, basketball, bocce, bowling, cycling, equestrian, football, golf, gymnastics, powerlifting, roller skating, sailing, table tennis, tennis, team handball, and volleyball. There will also be demonstrations in pitch and putt, kayaking and judo.

Local bases
While the games themselves take place in and around the capital city of Dublin, the athletes arrived in the country earlier in the week with each delegation being received by a town around the country. The host town programme offered athletes four or five days to acclimatise to Ireland and sample some of the famous local hospitality.

Massive operation
Volunteer recruitment for the games began back in January 2001, with around 30,000 volunteers needed to ensure that events run smoothly. The festival village based at the RDS in Simmonscourt, south Dublin, will be the centre of activity for the course of the games from 21 to 28 June. In addition to staging events such as table tennis and acting as a centre of communications for the games, the RDS will also be the venue for a celebration of Irish art and culture with leading Irish figures from the worlds of music, literature and fashion appearing at various stages over the week.

Notable guests
The opening ceremony was attended by 85,000 people, with guests of honour including Irish president Mary McAleese, the founder of the Special Olympics Eunice Kennedy Shriver, boxing legend Muhammed Ali, former South African president Nelson Mandela, and internationally famous Irish bands U2 and The Corrs.

Numerous participants
Over 1,200 athletes are expected to participate in the football tournament during the Games. As one of the four team sports, football will incorporate an eleven-a-side competition which will take place the A.U.L complex in Clonshaugh which contains twelve full size pitches and is sometimes used by the Republic Of Ireland national side as a training facility. The five-a-side competition takes place at Belfield, the home of Ireland's largest university, UCD, which contains excellent facilities for both five-a-side football and basketball.

Nationwide tour
The Special Olympics 'Flame Of Hope' has been travelling around Ireland for the past week and on Saturday afternoon completed the final leg of its journey by passing through Dublin city centre on its way to Croke Park. The Special Olympics World Games promises to be an extremely special occasion, and while all competitions will be keenly contested, the function of the games is best demonstrated by its mission statement.

'Unparalleled sporting and cultural experience'
"To provide in Ireland a unique and unparalleled sporting and cultural experience for the athletes taking part, from Europe and all over the world, as well as for their coaches, families, volunteers, and sponsors, combining the excitement of sport with the opportunity for personal distinction and pride."