Gardai still seeking Special Olympians

Gardaí were still searching today for six athletes and coaches who failed to catch their flights home from the Special Olympic Games.

The week-long games ended on Sunday, and the bulk of the 7,000 athletes and supporting personnel flew out yesterday.

But three athletes and a coach from Niger and coaches from Pakistan and Sudan did not arrive at Dublin Airport for their scheduled return and their planes left without them.

The four missing men from Niger, aged between 21 and 37, left their accommodation at a Dublin hotel yesterday morning to go on a shopping trip in the city centre.

Police said none of that group spoke much English – their native tongue is French – and underscored concern for their welfare, as the three athletes involved had special learning needs.

A spokesman said “We just need to contact them to confirm they are all well.”