SPECIAL OLYMPICS ATHLETES ARE SANTIAGO BOUND IN 2027

Special Olympics International announced on Wednesday that the next World Summer Games in 2027 will be held in Santiago, capital city of Chile. The world’s largest sports and humanitarian event will be the first ever to be held in the Latin American region, and the first time in the organisation’s 55-year history that a World Games will take part in the Southern Hemisphere. More than 6,000 athletes from over 170 nations, including Gibraltar, are expected to take part in 22 sports, at state-of-the-art competition venues over 9 days. They will be supported by over 2,000 coaches and thousands of volunteers and family members. The organisers expect around 500,000 spectators, with worldwide media coverage.

Every two years, thousands of Special Olympics athletes worldwide come together to showcase their athletic skills and celebrate the spirit of Special Olympics, which celebrates over 50,000 games and competitions every year. The first Special Olympics World Games took place in 1968 and since then they have evolved into a world-class sporting event. Alternating between Summer Games and Winter Games, Special Olympics World Games bring public attention to the talents and abilities of people with intellectual disabilities, helping to change attitudes and break down stereotypes.

Special Olympics Gibraltar National Director Annie Risso said:- “This is very exciting news for all our athletes in Gibraltar who have the chance to compete once again on the World stage, and in such an amazing location with a rich cultural heritage and a long tradition of hosting global sporting events.”

The Games are expected to leave a legacy of social transformation and sport for Chile, its people and the whole Latin American region. This includes developing unified schools programming in at least 200 municipalities and 1,000 schools; increasing training about people with intellectual disabilities for law enforcement; improving education of primary healthcare professionals treating people with ID; expansion of Special Olympics Chile into all 16 regions of the country; and a series of actions to mobilize awareness and political commitment throughout Latin America.