President Higgins hosted a lunch for representatives of the Active Communities Network from Belfast.
The organisation uses sports as a means to help people from disadvantaged communities find their way into education, training and employment.
In 2018, Active Communities Network Belfast won the Laureus Sport for Good Award, given to organisations or individuals who have used the power of sport to overcome violence, discrimination or disadvantage.
You can listen to the President's speech, and to the other speeches, by clicking on the links below.
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President Higgins is a strong supporter of sports, for its health benefits and its focus on skills and dedication, but also for its benefits for society, through its ability to bridge cultural, economic, linguistic or ethnic divides.
The President has said that:
“Sport, in so many ways, mirrors those qualities which are so important for good citizenship and the creation of adequately functioning societies. To be a good sportswoman or sportsman requires dedication, self discipline, teamwork and the ability to persevere in the face of adversity. It is through partaking in sporting activities that many young children begin to learn how to participate in a society where circumstances and events will lead to their sometimes being triumphant winners in life, and just as important, sometimes gracious losers." (March 2015)
