Funding problems: There has been a call for special extra funding to support teams participating in the Special Olympics from poorer countries.
As Special Olympics teams in yesterday spent the last hours in their host towns it emerged that there are wide differences between the funding of the teams. At least three of Kerry's eight teams expected at one stage they would not make it, because of worries over finance. Some had to cut back the size of their delegation.
In Waterville, the 19-member team, mostly swimmers, from Suriname was originally to have numbered 64 but this was reduced because the South American country could not raise sufficient funds to send so many athletes to Ireland.
"It must be so disappointing for those who had to be left behind," Ms Cora McGillicuddy, transport coordinator of the Waterville committee said. She called for any left-over monies by committees to be divided among the poorer countries only.
No company would have been willing to sponsor the 26-strong Jordanian team, jointly hosted between Listowel and Tarbert,said Ms Zeenah Haddad, a swimming coach with the team. A member of the Jordanian royal family eventually stepped in with the funds.There had also been some doubt over the visit by the the teams from South African and El Salvador.
By contrast, finance seems not to have been an issue among the 98 strong Italian delegation in Killarney and the 54-strong Swiss delegation hosted by Kenmare.
The Swiss team had arrived with several tracksuits each, plenty of sports gear and two more participants than originally expected.