Tuesday, October 6: Hockey has taken another significant step forward within the Special Olympics movement in Ireland, with Special Olympics Ireland confirming that Hockey ID has received an allocation of 10 athletes for the 2027 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Santiago, Chile.
The allocation will see five female and five male athletes selected to represent Team Ireland at the Games, marking the first time hockey has been allocated places at the Special Olympics World Games.
The announcement is the latest milestone in the groundbreaking partnership between Hockey Ireland and Special Olympics Ireland, following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding earlier this year.
The journey reached a key point in September with the inaugural Special Olympics Ireland x Hockey Ireland All-Ireland Competition at the Sport Ireland Campus. Six teams from across Leinster, Eastern Region, Munster and Connacht came together for a day of divisioning, competition and player grading, helping establish the pathway for athletes to progress within Special Olympics competition.
With hockey now confirmed as part of the 2027 Special Olympics World Summer Games, the next step will be the selection of the 10 athletes who will represent Ireland in Santiago. The selections will take place on Saturday, October 31, with the final Team Ireland hockey squad to be officially announced in the weeks afterwards.
The opportunity represents another exciting chapter for inclusive hockey in Ireland, complementing Hockey Ireland’s existing Hockey4All club programme and Hockey ID national representative pathway.