Nov28

Written by:
28/11/2011 16:49 

600 athletes throughout Ireland will participate in basketball events to mark the eighth annual Europe/Eurasia Special Olympics Basketball Week which will run from Nov 26th to Dec 4th. The aim of this annual initiative is to promote the involvement of Special Olympics Athletes in basketball, the third most popular sport within the Special Olympics movement in Europe/Eurasia.

The flagship events of the week in Ireland is the Men’s and Women’s National Cup, which took place across two venues on Saturday 26th November.  The men’s National Cup competition took place in the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght and was contested by 7 teams (Antrim Borough Special Olympics Club, Palmerstown Wild Cats, Cabra Lions, Waterford Special Olympics Club, Lucan Special Olympics Club, Navan Arch Club, and North West Special Olympics Club). The Men's Cup was won by North West Special Olympics Club who defeated Palmerstown Wild Cats in the final. 

The Women’s National Cup event took place in Corduff Sports Centre in Blanchardstown, with teams from four different Special Olympics Clubs in action (Cope Foundation, Palmerstown Wild Cats, North West Special Olympics Club and Antrim Borough Special Olympics Club). It was a day of double celebrations for North West Special Olympics Club who also defeated Palmerstown Wild Cats in the final.

North West Special Olympics Club celebrate with the Men's Division 1 trophy at the 2011 Special Olympics Ireland National Basketball Cup		North West Special Olympics Club celebrate with the trophy following their side's 2011 Special Olympics Ireland Women's National Basketball Cup victory
Palmerstown Wildcats who won silver in Division 1 of the 2011 Special Olympics Ireland National Basketball Cup		Palmerstown Wildcats following their second place finish at the 2011 Special Olympics Ireland National Basketball Cup