On May 31, New York City Sports Commissioner Kenneth J. Podziba and New York City Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities Commissioner Matthew Sapolin will welcome the Special Olympics New York Metro Tournament to New York City's Riverbank State Park. Over 1,000 athletes with intellectual disabilities representing the five boroughs, Long Island, Hudson Valley and Connecticut will compete in what has become the largest single-day Special Olympics competition in the Tri-State area. Athletes will compete in five sports: aquatics, basketball, track & field, volleyball and power lifting. The Opening Ceremonies will commence at 10:00am and competition will begin at 11:00am. The Opening Ceremonies will be emceed by Yolanda Vega of the New York Lottery.

"The Special Olympics New York Metro Tournament will showcase the amazing athletic abilities of the participants as they attempt to qualify for the 2008 state-level Special Olympics Summer Games held later this year," said Commissioner Podziba. "This year's tournament will mark the 20th anniversary of this fantastic event, which has become the largest single-day Special Olympics event in the Tri-State area."

Joining the athletes will be professional sports stars, local dignitaries, family members, game volunteers, cheering spectators, and corporate sponsors. The entire event will be conducted in a tradition of Olympic-style pageantry from the opening ceremony torch run to the closing medal ceremony. The top finishers in each event will qualify for the state-level Special Olympic Summer Games held in Binghamton, New York from June 12-14.

"The Special Olympics is an exceptional event that offers participants an opportunity to build their confidence through healthy athletic competition," said New York City Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities Commissioner Matthew Sapolin. "I commend the staff of the Special Olympics of New York for fostering the growth of this event throughout the past two decades."

"This year the Special Olympics New York Metro Tournament will be celebrating its 20th Anniversary," said Neal Johnson, President and CEO of Special Olympics New York. "It is the largest Special Olympics event held annually in the city, bringing together 1,000 athletes and coaches from across the city, Hudson Valley and Long Island for a single day multi-sport competition. Thousands of volunteers, spectators and supporters will be there to witness and share in our athletes' determination, courage, joy and most importantly, their abilities. We invite everyone to join us at Riverbank State Park for the day."

"We feel a strong sense of pride and privilege to have the opportunity to provide our participants with the stage to showcase their skill and abilities through sports competition," said Dave Celentano of Special Olympics New York. "It's our responsibility to impart an outlet where the focus is on our athletes and spotlights their abilities - not their disabilities. It's a wonderful opportunity for the general public to view these special individuals in a positive light and it's a great building block to educate on the matters of inclusion and acceptance."

Riverbank State Park is located at 679 Riverside Drive (at W. 145th Street) in Manhattan.

For more information about the Special Olympics Metro Tournament, please visit www.specialolympicsnewyork.org.

Special Olympics New York - More than 40,000 individuals with intellectual disabilities (ranging from Down syndrome, Autism and Cerebral Palsy, to other disabilities) participate in programs provided by Special Olympics New York, Inc. (SONY) Through year-round sports training and competition, SONY offers continuing opportunities for athletes to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage and experience the joy of achievement. Athletes train and compete in nine regions across New York State. This is accomplished with a network of 25,000 dedicated volunteers, including more that 4,000 certified coaches. SONY offers a statewide, three season program encompassing more than 400 events annually. SONY achieves its goal through quality sports training in 23 Olympic-style sports. Athletes can advance from local events to regional, state, national, and international competitions and train in 23 Olympic-style sports. All training and competitions are cost-free to the athletes, their families and caregivers.

Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities serves as a liaison between City government and disabled individuals and organizations representing or serving New Yorkers with disabilities. The Office works with City agencies to make sure that the particular needs of People with Disabilities are considered in the development of City policies, programs, and services.

The New York City Sports Commission is the mayoral agency charged with attracting, facilitating and promoting professional, amateur and scholastic sports events in New York City. The Sports Commission has played an integral role in creating or developing many new sporting events, including the NFL Kickoff Live from Times Square, NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series™ Champions Week, the BMC Software NYC Cycling Championship, the AVP Brooklyn Open, the NAUTICA NYC Triathlon, the NYC Half-Marathon, the Union Square Street Sessions presented by Jeep®, the Wild Onion Urban Adventure Race, and the Men's Health Urbanathlon.