A Ballyfermot man is hoping to bring glory to his home town as he sets out to take part in this year's Special Olympics World Games in Berlin on Sunday.
Keith Doyle, 39, is from Ballyfermot Crescent in Ballyfermot, Dublin and he's got a great love and passion for tenpin bowling, which he's played for 20 years. Keith currently bowls with Metro South Bowling Club in Charlestown and he has been selected as part of the bowling team at the Special Olympics which begins on June 17.
Special Olympics Ireland will send a team of 73 athletes which includes Keith as well as a 36-strong coaching and management team to compete in 12 sports at the World Games in Berlin, Germany which runs from 17 to 25 June. Speaking to Dublin Live, Keith's proud auntie Ann Killeen said they are "so proud" of Keith and that the entire community is rallying around him.
"Keith is flying out on Sunday he leaves his home at Ballyfermot Crescent at 3.0pm. He plays tenpin bowling it's a team sport, he got gold a few months back to qualify for the Special Olympics in Berlin.
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"He's really looking forward to it. The whole road is supporting him, the house and all the neighbours have flags and banners up everywhere for him.
"He's bowling twenty years and he absolutely loves it. We're so proud of him."
Tenpin bowling is a competitive sport in which a player rolls a bowling ball down a wooden or synthetic lane. The aim of the game is to knock down as many pins as possible to win points for your team.
Keith used to bowl at Palmerstown before the bowling place closed down a few years ago and now he trains in Charlestown with Metro South Bowling Club every week. In recent months, Keith also earned a gold medal which saw him qualify for the Special Olympics World Games.
His auntie Ann said: "Every Friday night he goes with Metro Bowling. Keith got into bowling with his friends, they just picked up bowling and decided to do a club. And they've been bowling ever since.
"His first event is the 17 June, that's the opening ceremony. I'm looking forward to that, we have our tickets and all."
Keith and his fellow Irish bowlers are strong contenders for this year's Games, and they're set to face off against tough competition.
Ann added that Keith's family members including herself, Keith's dad and sister and nieces are all flying out to Berlin to cheer him on during his bowling matches at the Special Olympics. The opening ceremony for the games is 17 June and closing ceremony is 25 June, with Keith expected home the following day on June 26.
The Special Olympics World Games takes place every four years, Berlin 2023 follows on from Abu Dhabi 2019, with the event having a proud history that dates back to the first Games in Chicago in 1968.
Good luck to Keith and the rest of the Ireland team. For further information about Team Ireland, please visit www.specialolympics.ie.
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