MORE THAN 350 athletes from 24 countries will compete at this year’s European Transplant and Dialysis Games, which was officially opened at Dublin City University yesterday evening.
Athletes from all over Europe converged on the university, where the Games Village will be located for the 6th ever biennial event that takes place in Dublin until next Saturday.
Athletes taking part are either presently receiving dialysis treatment or have received a transplant or operations to replace vital organs such as the heart, liver and pancreas.
The theme of this year’s games is to value the “gift of life,” which was highlighted by RTÉ’s Mary Kennedy who presented yesterday’s ceremony.
Irish team captain Michael Dwyer said the games are very special to all the athletes competing because each person had already won a “major personal battle” just to be at the event.
“I give thanks to my donor every day of my life, and especially at games like this. Athletes on dialysis will celebrate the gift of life, and look forward to the day they get their own transplant.”
At the 2008 games, held in Germany, the Irish team finished third on the medals table out of 24 competing countries, with a total of 42 medals.
This year Ireland has a record 71 athletes competing.
Among the sports being played are badminton, tenpin bowling, cycling, darts, track and field, golf, mini-marathon, petanque, swimming, table tennis, tennis and volleyball. Chairman of the games organising committee Colin White said planning for the event had taken about two years because athletes’ health concerns had to be taken into account.
Former Irish athlete Eamonn Coghlan described all of the competitors as “winners” when he met the Irish team for a motivational talk last month.
He told the team they had “displayed not only your love of sport, but your love of life, and you are an inspiration to all of us”.