Debate contribution: Paris Olympics and Paralympics
Debate contribution by Mr Timothy Gaston on .
- MLA
- Mr Timothy Gaston
- Party at the time
- Traditional Unionist Voice
- Date
- 9 September 2024
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Matter of the Day
- Heading
- Paris Olympics and Paralympics
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4511069
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I thank Claire for tabling the Matter of the Day. We can all celebrate and be proud of the success of Northern Ireland's athletes. To have won only three gold medals in the history of the summer Olympics and then to win four along with a silver and two bronze medals is remarkable. I congratulate all those from Northern Ireland who competed for Team GB or Team Ireland. One hopes that their remarkable success acts as a catalyst to inspire many budding athletes to achieve Olympic glory in the years ahead. I will, however, highlight an equality issue that comes from the Olympics. In December 2013, an independent working group that the then sports Minister established identified serious issues in boxing and highlighted examples of sectarianism and racism. A key finding of the report was that boxers from Northern Ireland should have the option, under the terms of the Belfast Agreement, of aiming to represent Great Britain at the Olympic Games and other international tournaments. I regret the fact that, 11 years on, no progress has been made on that and that, when it comes to boxing and a number of other sports, no route is open for an athlete to compete under the Union flag on the world's biggest sporting stage. That is a scandal. Something that was identified in a 2013 report should have been dealt with years ago. As we celebrate our athletes' success, I urge the Minister to do what he can to get belated movement on the issue. Mr Speaker, if you will indulge me for a moment, I will remind the House that it was because of the courageous stand taken by Sandy Row Boxing Club, which is in your constituency, that those issues came to light. Sadly, as things stand today, the club faces the prospect of ceasing to operate after more than a quarter of a century in the working-class heartland of south Belfast. Again, I urge the Minister to do all that he can on that.
335 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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