Mulligan and Pigott set to represent Ireland on world stage
Two Athlone men are heading to Germany to compete in the World Dwarf Games which begin this weekend.
John Pigott from Coosan and Mark Mulligan from the Roscommon Road, Athlone are part of the Ireland squad which will depart for Cologne later this week.
Both Mark and John have competed at the World Games before, with Mark having captained the Ireland soccer team to bronze medal success in Belfast in 2009.
Mark will take part in soccer, basketball and boccia, while John will compete in boccia, running (100 metres), basketball and soccer. John and Mark will also play boccia together as a doubles partnership.
The World Dwarf Games is the largest international sporting event held exclusively for athletes with dwarfism. Its goal is to attract athletes with dwarfism from around the world to participate in sports.
The eighth World Dwarf Games will be held from July 28 to August 5 at the Deutsche Sport Hochschule (German Sports University) in Cologne, Germany.
The upcoming World Dwarf Games were originally scheduled to be held in 2021, but the Covid-19 pandemic caused a postponement.
The Ireland soccer team is part of 'Team International' - a team made up of players from different countries who don’t have enough players to compete on their own. The Irish contingent as part of Team International faces hosts and world champions Germany in their opening game on Sunday, with Canada and Denmark also in their group.
Looking back to 2009, Mark said it was beneficial for him and the other Irish competitors to have the Games in Belfast ("on our doorstep"), and it was an experience that he enjoyed immensely.
"When I played sport in school or wherever, I was always at a slight disadvantage. I was never on a level playing field as such, so it was great to be playing on the world stage as an equal. It was a real eye opener for me," Mark told the Westmeath Independent.
The Ireland squad for the Games has been assembled and managed by the Dwarf Sports Association Ireland (DSAI). Mark explains that the DSAI doesn't receive any government funding, adding that the organisation has to fundraise to cover the costs of sending teams to international competitions. John plays an active role at administrative level with the DSAI.
Mark's parents, Martin and Mary, run the popular Mulligan's service station and grocery on the Roscommon Road in Athlone.
Mark is also well known locally for his involvement with Monksland United FC and Mark is very grateful to former Monksland team manager Colum McDaid for his valuable assistance with training in preparation for the World Games.
It might surprise some people that the upcoming sporting event is called the World Dwarf Games as the word dwarf is less commonly used nowadays.
When asked about the matter, Mark takes a philosophical approach.
"I don't take offence to the word, but it's not a word I use myself either,” said Mark.
“I'd probably say little person and most people I know will refer to me by my name or 'Muggsy’. But there has to be a title for the competition, some word to differentiate it, and they're not going to call it the 'World Little People Games',” he continued.
Now aged 34, Mark works as a special needs assistant at St Comán's Wood Primary School in Roscommon and he's relishing the prospect of representing Ireland in Germany.
"Representing your country is the best honour; for me, it's not really about winning medals. It's a major bonus if you're able to win a medal," added Mark.