Ken Schofield, Executive Director of The European Tour, welcomed Special Olympics Athletes Lewis James, Edward McVicar and Matthew Sims to the Volvo PGA Championship at Wentworth Club. Special Olympics, founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, is the world’’s largest year-round programme of sports training and competitions for children and adults with mental handicaps* of all ability levels.
From June 21-29, the 2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games will be held in Dublin, Ireland. The World Games will be the largest sporting event to be held in 2003. It will be the first time that the games are held outside of the United States. A total of 7,000 Athletes with mental handicaps will compete in 21 sports. No fewer than 123 golfers will be competing, 55 of them from Europe/Eurasia.
Ken Schofield, who announced a partnership between The European Tour and the Special Olympics, said: “The European Tour welcomed the opportunity not only to meet the Special Olympic Athletes, but also to commit to an awareness programme for The World Games so that we help to open the eyes of the world to an increasing understanding of Special Olympics. The Athletes are an inspiration to all involved in the world of sport; we are all in awe of how many people participate and how challenged Athletes perform so magnificently.”
Michael Smith, Managing Director Special Olympics Europe/Eurasia, said: “Special Olympics were honoured to announce their newly formed partnership with The European Tour and it is with sincere gratitude to The European Tour that Special Olympics were able to enjoy and experience a day at their flagship event, the Volvo PGA Championship, at Wentworth Club, in the appreciated company of many world ranked professional golfers and management and staff who are the driving force behind the success and positioning of the prestigious European Tour. We give warm thanks for their support, generosity and hospitality.”
Sam Torrance, Captain of The European Team that won The 34th Ryder Cup Matches, greeted the Special Olympics Athletes on behalf of all competitors on the practice range at the Volvo PGA Championship and they were given the opportunity to demonstrate their own superb skills in addition to being pictured with The Ryder Cup.
The Special Olympics Athletes were also given a tour of Wentworth Club by Julian Small, the Managing Director, during which they were given the opportunity to hold the famous silver claret jug which Ernie Els, the 2002 Open Golf Champion, has put on display in the Clubhouse. They also visited the on-site BBC TV studio where they were welcomed by Peter Alliss, Ken Brown, Alex Hay and Steve Rider.
*Different terminology is used throughout the world for mental handicap, including learning disability, developmental disability, intellectual handicap and mental retardation.
