Sydney hopefuls to get £77,000

Olympic Council of Ireland officials yesterday moved to defuse the controversy over monies raised during the Green Jackets campaign in the United States almost two years ago.

In a second and final allocation of grants from the scheme, the OCI announced that a total of £77,000, representing the balance of the fund, was being distributed to 24 athletes to assist in their preparations for Sydney 2000.

The fund, set up by Irish Americans who, in some instances, made personal donations of $10,000, was originally designed to help those in training for the 1996 Games in Atlanta.

Towards this end, an initial allocation of $100,000 was made in 1996 by the OCI, prompting several questions about the remaining monies in the fund. Speaking at the annual general meeting of the Olympic Council of Ireland last month, the council's president, Pat Hickey, promised that a second allocation would be made early in the New Year.

A spokesperson for the council said that the actual amount outstanding was $113,475 valued at £71,621 at the date of lodgement. This figure had now been increased by the OCI to £77,000 to take account of interest accrued.

"We are highly indebted to the Irish athletes' fund-raising committee for this further, generous allocation to assist our Olympic athletes and to the Irish Americans who each made generous contributions of $10,000," said Hickey. "I would like to pay particular tribute to the fund chairman, David Fitzgerald of Atlanta, for his highly influential role in creating the fund."

The belated windfall will be welcomed, particularly, by two boxers, Stephen Kirk and Neil Gough. Kirk is awarded £7,000 while Gough, who beat Francie Barrett, a member of the Olympic boxing squad in Atlanta, to win the national welterweight championship last Friday, gets £6,000.

One of the biggest beneficiaries in track and field athletics is Shane Healy, who receives £5,000. It's an opportune new-year present for Healy who is fighting his way back to full fitness and hopeful of gaining a nomination for the European indoor championships at Valencia in March.

Noel Berkeley, at the forefront of long-distance running in this country in recent years, will also receive £5,000 while Noel Cullen and Cormac Finnerty, two others with designs on the national cross-country championship next month, get £2,000. Four athletes from the Taekwondo Association, one of the newer bodies affiliated to the OCI, will share £16,000.

The recipients of the Olympic grants from the Green Jacket fund are: Athletics - Shane Healy (£5,000), Noel Berkeley (£5,000), Gillian O'Sullivan (£3,000), Deirdre Gallagher, Noel Cullen, Cormac Finnerty (£2,000). Boxing - Stephen Kirk (£7,000), Neil Gough (£6,000). Rowing - Eugene Coakley, Owen Byrne (£3,000), Albert Maher (£2,000). Cycling - Ray Clark (£3,000). Fencing - John Twomey (£2,000). Shooting - Derek Burnett, Gary Duff (£2,000). Archery - Keith Hanlon (£2,000). Sailing - Tom Fitzpatrick, David McHugh (£2,000). Taekwondo - Rachel Caprani, Lee Bennett (£5,000), Elizabeth O'Neill, John Hayden (£3,000). Weightlifting - Wayne Healy, Eamonn Byrne (£3,000).

The Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, yesterday presented the Nestle sponsorship cheque for 1998 to officials of the all-Ireland schools championships, at his offices in Dublin.