Entain Helps Send Speed Skater Niall Treacy to the Winter Olympics

Posted on: December 21, 2021, 06:28h. 

Last updated on: December 21, 2021, 01:20h.

Erik Gibbs Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Gaming Business, Global Gaming.

Entain is sending a speed skater to the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. The global gaming and sports betting company is sponsoring Niall Treacy’s run for the gold through its partnership with SportsAid.

Niall Treacy
Niall Treacy has been selected to Team GB for the upcoming Winter Olympics. His participation is made possible, in part, through a contribution from global gaming company Entain. (Image: Stratford Herald)

The 2022 Winter Olympics are still scheduled to be held this coming February in Beijing. This could change because of growing concern over COVID-19, but athletes are still hoping for the best. Niall Treacy, a 21-year-old speed ice skater from  Warwickshire, England, is one of these.

Treacy has qualified to be part of Team GB in the Olympics, and his participation will be made possible, in part, by Entain. The gaming company has an ongoing partnership with SportsAid that sponsors athletes for events and also provides mentoring opportunities.

SportsAid is a UK charity created specifically for athletes. It helps those who don’t have support from anywhere else. In addition to Entain, it is also supported by Lloyds TSB, Eversheds, and the Jaguar Academy of Sport.

The company states that, for the London 2021 Olympic and Paralympic Games, two-thirds of the British athletes were tied to the entity. Of those, there were 20 Olympic and 27 Paralympic gold medals won.

Entertain Teams Up With SportsAid

Entain’s involvement is through its Entain Foundation, which focuses on corporate social responsibility (CSR). Over the past three years, together with SportsAid, it has been heavily involved in athlete sponsorships.

We support SportsAid because it is clearly helping aspiring young athletes in communities across the country compete at the highest level,” said Director of Regulatory Affairs and Entain Foundation Trustee Grainne Hurst.

Since 2018, Entain Foundation has reportedly provided financial support for over 150 athletes. The money goes for training, travel, and equipment expenses. The entity continues to find new targets for its contributions, investing heavily in athletes from across England, Northern Ireland, Wales, and Scotland.

Treacy Faces Stiff Competition

Treacy was selected to be part of Team GB after he finished fourth in the International Skating Union (ISU) Speed Skating World Cup. That event was held in Debrecen, Hungary, this past January, with the skater coming in fourth. It was an Olympic-qualifying event, and Treacy was among the best 15 participants.

The skater is expected to participate in the 1000m event and has some big skates to fill. His older brother, Farrell, is also an Olympic skater and was on the ice for Team GB at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics in 2018.

This time around, the two brothers will compete in the same event. Depending on the way the heat draws are made, this could be a case of sibling rivalry. Farrell will also be on the track for the 1500m event.