cities and villages and the Aran Islands hosted national delegations in the run up to the games. Each town ran programmes to educate the local community about the customs of the country they would host and provided facilities for the teams to acclimatise. Newbridge, County Kildare, host to the Japan delegation won the award for best host town. Events Athletes and coaches such as Lleyton Hewitt and his coach Roger Rasheed (tennis); Seve Ballesteros, Sandy Lyle and Andrew Marshall (golf), Mick O'Dwyer (Gaelic football) and Brian Kerr (soccer) met and encouraged athletes at events during the games. Events and venues were: Aquatics — National Aquatic Centre, Blanchardstown Athletics (track and field) — Morton Stadium, Santry Badminton — Badminton Centre, Baldoyle Basketball — National Basketball Arena, Tallaght; University College Dublin (UCD), Belfield Bocce — Royal Dublin Society (RDS), Ballsbridge Bowling — Leisureplex, Blanchardstown Cycling — Phoenix Park Equestrian — Kill Equestrian Centre, Kill, County Kildare Football (soccer) — Athletic Union League Clonshaugh; UCD Golf — Portmarnock GC; Elm Green GC, Dunsink Gymnastics (artistic and rhythmic) — RDS Judo — Sportslink, Santry Kayaking — Salmon Leap Canoe Club, Leixlip Motor Activity Training Program — RDS Pitch and putt — Glenville Pitch & Putt, Old Bawn Powerlifting — RDS Roller skating — King's Hall, Belfast Sailing — Royal St. George Yacht Club, Dún Laoghaire Table tennis — RDS Team handball — National Show Centre, Cloghran Tennis — David Lloyd Riverview, Clonskeagh Volleyball — ALSAA, Dublin Airport; Dublin City University, Glasnevin References Sources Citations External links 2003 World Games official website (Archived) Official list of nations and athletes Host Town list Special Olympics 2003 Results Irish Prison Service release on their inmates work for the Special Olympics Special Olympics Ireland website 2003 2003 in Irish sport 2003 in multi-sport events International sports competitions in Dublin (city) International sports competitions hosted by Ireland Multi-sport events in Ireland 2000s in Dublin (city)