Belfast Bids For World Transplant Games

Belfast is bidding to host the World Transplant Games in 2011 for the first time in the city’s history.

The games are organised by the World Transplant Games Federation, to publicly and visibly demonstrate the benefits of successful organ transplants, to increase public awareness of transplants and so increase organ donation, as well as to promote the full rehabilitation and wellbeing of the participants.

The games embrace all ages, from four to eighty-year-olds, with 14 different sports to suit all capabilities, including athletics, swimming, racquet sports, golf, volleyball and cycling. The standards of these games are high as the 100 metres record is 11.18 seconds and the long jump record is 6.95 metres.

Launching Belfast’s bid, Lord Mayor Jim Rodgers said: "After many years of being known all over the world for all the wrong reasons, Belfast, in a few short years, has increasingly been the focus of international attention for all the right reasons. Over recent years there has been a remarkable investment of hundreds of millions of pounds spent on our entertainment, leisure, sporting and accommodation sectors."

Leading the Belfast bid is Janet Coleman, a transplant recipient, who said: "I have competed in every summer World Transplant Games event since receiving my kidney transplant in 1984. In doing so, I have witnessed first hand the positive media attention generated – countries hosting past Games have reported an increase in organ donation rates by as much as 60 per cent."

The Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure Edwin Poots wished the bid every success, saying: "Throughout Northern Ireland’s history, sport has always played a major role in bring people and communities together. In a region which is passionate about sport and its role in society, hosting these Games would bring the people here a sense of pride that would be difficult to put a value on."

The Belfast bid will be presented at the 2007 Games in Bangkok, Thailand later this month.

Mr Poots said: "I wish the bid team the very best of luck as they travel to Bangkok later this month to make their final bid presentation."

Belfast is the United Kingdom’s nominated city to host the 2011 games, and is in competition with Denmark and Sweden. The successful city will not be named until August 2008.

(SB/SP)