THE INTEGRATION Centre has said it is satisfied with the number of foreign-born people who have been chosen to represent Ireland in the Olympics.
A number of top-level athletes have made Ireland their home, such as Latvian-born rower Sanita Puspure, Polish-born canoeist Andrzej Jezierski, and pole vaulter Tori Pena, from California.
The centre, a non-governmental organisation committed to the integration and inclusion of people from immigrant backgrounds in Ireland, said the inclusion of numbers of foreign-born people on the team would help send a message to young, upcoming athletes of all backgrounds.
Chief executive of the centre Killian Forde said: “We think this team demonstrates the changing demographics of Ireland and we acknowledge the work done by the Olympic Council of Ireland and member organisations in promoting sport to all.”
Mr Forde said that “despite the high numbers of foreign-born [athletes] on the team, we must not lose focus of the importance of integration strategies in sport. Participation amongst immigrants in sport in Ireland is worryingly low.”
In the centre’s annual monitoring report on integration, it was found that while 44 per cent of Irish-born respondents surveyed in the past week had participated in sport, the figures for those born in other EU countries and outside the EU were 36 per cent and 28 per cent respectively.
The centre hopes the increase in the number of foreign-born athletes representing Ireland will encourage more immigrants to participate in sport in their new home.
The daughter of two Irish emigrants will carry the Olympic torch in London today. Elaine Styles was born in London but her father is from Cork and her mother from Westmeath.
Elaine works as an optician in London and was nominated to carry the torch because of her work with the charity Vision Aid.