LA Galaxy captain Robbie Keane has called on his home country of Ireland to get behind Special Olympics athletes due to compete at the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Los Angeles this year. Keane who is also Ireland captain and their most capped player, was voted the most valuable player in Major League Soccer (MLS) last month and top scorer for LA Galaxy. Keane and his wife Claudine have signed as Ambassadors for Team Ireland ahead of the 2015 World Summer Games.
Robbie and Claudine who flew home from their base in Los Angeles to spend Christmas in Ireland, recently took part in a Special Olympics football training session at Crumlin United FC – the club where the LA Galaxy star began his career as a young boy. Watch a video of the session here.
“I had a training session with the players and I have to say I really enjoyed it. It was great to see how excited the athletes are to be part of this huge event. Both Claudine and I are honoured and privileged to have been asked to be Ambassadors for Team Ireland and we both want to do as much as we can to help support the athletes.”
The couple say they are determined to help Special Olympics Ireland raise enough money to send 88 athletes to Los Angeles for the Games which are taking place from July 25th to August 2nd. To cover the cost of sending Team Ireland to the Games, Special Olympics needs to raise €440,000. The organisation will be reaching out to Irish businesses and companies over the coming weeks and months to seek pledges of support. The cost incurred by Special Olympics Ireland to prepare and send each athlete to Los Angeles is €5,000.
“I’ve been very fortunate in my life to play in big tournaments like the World Cup, the European Championship, and I know how it important it was to me, the team, and the nation,” explained Keane. “I would urge everyone, particularly businesses, to dig deep and get behind the athletes of Special Olympics. At the end of the day, these athletes are representing Ireland and the Irish people must get behind them,” he added.
Claudine Keane echoed her husband’s sentiments: “Every day these athletes are putting in huge effort with their training, but as a country Ireland needs to put in the effort and help to get them to LA. Companies large and small can sign up. All you need to do is head to www.specialolympics.ie to find out more. Let’s all do our part and help make the dreams of these athletes come true.”
Matt English, CEO Special Olympics Ireland, said he was delighted to welcome the couple on board as Ambassadors. “2015 is a significant year for our athletes and I am thrilled to welcome Robbie and Claudine Keane as Ambassadors. Over the coming months we will be working hard to generate the necessary funds to send Team Ireland to the World Games and I am confident that the business world, in particular, will answer our call for support once more.”
ABOUT THE 2015 WORLD GAMES
In July 2015 the iconic city of Los Angeles will welcome 7,000 athletes from 177 countries to the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games. Running from July 25 - August 2, 2015 – the World Games will be the largest sports and humanitarian event anywhere in the world in 2015, and the single biggest event in Los Angeles since the 1984 Olympic Games. www.la2015.org
ABOUT SPECIAL OLYMPICS IRELAND
Special Olympics Ireland is a sports organisation for people with an intellectual disability, but it provides athletes with far more than the physical benefits of sport. Special Olympics changes lives. Through sport, athletes develop both physically and emotionally, they make new friends, realise their dreams, and know they can fit in. Special Olympics Ireland enables our athletes to achieve and win not only in sport but in life too.
Special Olympics Ireland currently has: 9,521 registered athletes participating in 13 sports in 388 clubs around Ireland.
