Five athletes from the Bradford area are taking part in Ireland's biggest ever sporting event next month.

They will be competing for Great Britain in the £30m Special Olympics World Games in Dublin from June 21 to 29.

The quintet on a quest for medals are powerlifters Andrew Hurst (Shipley), Simon Waggett (Silsden) and Helen Burton (Bradford), ten-pin bowler Graeme Cunningham (Haworth) and swimmer Heidi Karaba (Bradford).

And the Bradford area provides almost half of the contingent of 11 from the Yorkshire and Humberside region.

In all there will be a staggering 7,000 athletes from 166 nations, accompanied

by 3,000 coaches, competing in 21 disciplines.

There will be 30,000 volunteers to ensure that things run smoothly, and 1,500 different media organisations will be represented at the 11th World Games.

Other sports expected to be witnessed by the 500,000 spectators are horse riding, tennis and gymnastics.

Rob Wilkinson, public relations officer for the Yorkshire and Humberside Special Olympics region, said: "It is a great achievement for the Bradford area to provide five members of the Great Britain team.

"No other part of Yorkshire and Humberside has provided so many members, and all five athletes from the Bradford area stand a medal chance, but Graeme probably stands the best chance of them all."

All five are members of the Bradford Sports & Recreation Association for People with Disabilities (BSRAPD).