Team NI athletes, coaches and support staff have been welcomed to Parliament Buildings for a homecoming reception after the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
Communities Minister Gordon Lyons hosted the event at Stormont to mark Team NI’s results at the Games. The department said the performances produced 16 medals: three gold, four silver and nine bronze.
The reception recognised athletes, coaches, support staff and officials involved in the Games campaign. The department said Team NI also achieved numerous personal bests and record-breaking performances.
Mr Lyons announced £200,000 for the next Commonwealth Games cycle. The funding will be delivered in partnership with the Mary Peters Trust and Sport NI, and is intended to help young emerging athletes access training and competition opportunities during the early stages of development.
The minister also announced a further £2 million to reopen a crowdfunder grant with Sport NI. He said the scheme, launched last year, had already helped local clubs and organisations invest in equipment and facilities.
Guests at the reception included Commonwealth Games NI chair Dr Stephen Martin, Team NI Chef de Mission Conal Heatley, coaches, representatives from governing bodies across the nine sporting disciplines involved, and Sport NI.
Sport NI chair Gavin Boyd congratulated Team NI and said National Lottery funding supports athletes, governing bodies, coaching, programmes and performance pathways. He said coaches, support staff and governing bodies made a vital contribution to the achievements.