Special Olympics IoM to begin latest Gibraltar games campaign

18-strong Manx squad to compete there over next three days

Special Olympics Isle of Man will begin its campaign at one of its biggest off-Island competitions later today (26 June).

The Manx team is once again taking part in the National Games of Special Olympics Gibraltar being held over the next three days from 26-28 June.

A squad of 18 local athletes will compete across the sports of athletics, five-a-side football, bocce, ten-pin bowling and swimming.

This evening (26 June) will see the opening ceremony for the games take place at 6pm at Lathbury Sports Complex followed straight after by the athletics competition.

The football and bocce tournaments will take place on Thursday (27 June) from 9am and 4pm respectively at the SOG Sports Complex.

Meanwhile, the final day of events on Friday (28 June) will see the ten-pin bowling competition (from 9.30am at King Bastion Leisure Centre) and swimming event (from 6pm at Lathbury Sports Complex) before the closing ceremony later on the same evening.

The Isle of Man team's football coach Pete Corkhill says events like these are a great way for the players in all sports to connect with others across the world: