A delegation from Athlone headed by Mayor of Athlone Jim Henson travelled to the European Parliament in Brussels recently to formally accept the designation of Athlone as European Town of Sport for 2013.
The title is awarded annually by the European Capitals of Sport Association (ACES ) to a town which has promoted sports and pursued innovative municipal sports policies.
Athlone was awarded the prestigious title in September by the European Capitals of Sport Association (ACES ) following a successful submission by Athlone Town Council, Athlone Institute of Technology (AIT ), Athlone Regional Sports Centre, Athlone Town FC, Athlone and District Schoolboy/girl League, Buccaneers RFC, and Glasson Golf Club and a visit from an international panel from ACES to view the facilities.
Mayor Henson said that he was “delighted to accept the accolade on behalf of the people of Athlone. The title will offer the town a fantastic opportunity to showcase the extensive range of facilities we have on offer.”
He also confirmed that Athlone Town Council has designated a small amount of money in 2013 to help publicise the award.
Prof Ciarán Ó Catháin, president of AIT and president of Athletics Ireland, said that “this award highlights the measures that have been taken across the wider sporting community in Athlone to engage people in a myriad of different sports. It uniquely gives the town the perfect platform to enhance the current level of cooperation between the sporting bodies and bring new visitors to the town, something that will benefit all sectors.”
A committee has been established to ensure that the town maximises this opportunity to celebrate our achievements as a sporting destination and highlight the tremendous amount of work being carried out by Westmeath local authorities, AIT, Athlone Regional Sports Centre, Westmeath Sports Partnership, agencies, organisations, and dedicated individuals, to enrich the sporting lives of our citizens.
One of the activities overseen by the committee is the development of a 2013 sporting events calendar, which will be featured on the athlone.ie website. All local sporting organisations are invited to submit their confirmed 2013 events to [email protected]
