DUBLIN, 22 June 2003 — All the preparations were in place for Ireland to host a glittering opening ceremony to mark the official opening of the 2003 Special Olympics.
The ceremony, which was to be held in Dublin’s Croke Park sports stadium, is expected to attract 75,000 people, including the 160 participating delegations, their families and supporters.
Some 7,000 athletes, all of them suffering from learning difficulties, will be taking part in what has been billed the world’s largest sporting event of 2003.
Guests of honor at the opening will include Irish President Mary McAleese and Special Olympics founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver, as well as former South African President Nelson Mandela and boxing legend Muhammad Ali. Screen stars Pierce Brosnan and Julianne Moore and rock idol Jon Bon Jovi will also be in attendance.
President McAleese will formally welcome the athletes and join Nelson Mandela when the 11th Special Olympics World Games are officially declared open.
Bono, U2, the Corrs, Samantha Mumba and the Irish tenor Ronan Tynan will lead a strong line up of celebrities and stars from the worlds of international sport and showbiz taking part. A song specially written for the Games, “May We Never Have to Say Goodbye”, will be performed by the National Symphony Orchestra, many of Ireland’s finest traditional musicians, a pipe band and a choir of 500.
For the first time since the Games’ inception in 1968 the colorful event is to be held outside the US. It will also be the first time the opening ceremony has been televised live. In addition to the athletes, 3,000 coaches and officials as well as 20,000 family members and supporters have traveled to Ireland for the week-long spectacle.
