All 17 track and field athletes selected for the European Youth Olympic Games in Denmark next month have been invited to attend a meeting convened by BLE for Portlaoise this evening.
There, they will be informed of the latest developments in the dispute between the Olympic Council of Ireland and BLE, which threatens their participation in the championships.
Earlier, OCI officials had warned that they would enter the athletes as individuals if BLE persisted in their threat to withdraw the team, in the on going war of words between the two organisations over the gear to be worn by the team.
Now, the athletics authorities will attempt to compensate them for missing out on the Danish meeting by entering them for the inaugural world youth championships in Poland on July 16th and 18th.
"It was always our intention to be represented in Poland but with the addition of the extra athletes, it will push the cost of participation to close on £20,000. We believe this is a price worth paying for the experience." said a BLE spokesman.
This drew an immediate response from the OCI who said that it was never BLE's intention to send a team to the world championships. And they were merely doing so now, merely to score political points.
"We believe it is unfair to use young athletes in this manner" said an OCI spokesman.
"The FAI who, like BLE have their own individual gear sponsors, have no problem in sending a team to the Games, even though their players will have to be outfitted by the official Olympic sponsors, adidas. So, we believe that BLE's stance in this matter is unjustified."
The latest crisis in the strained relationship between the OCI and BLE, is seen as having a knock on effect for the Olympic Games in Sydney next year and will be monitored carefully by the Minister for Sport, Jim McDaid.
Following the termination of their agreement with Dunnes Stores, who donated all the apparel worn by the Irish team in each of the last two Olympic Games, the OCI concluded a deal with adidas which, they claim, is worth £500,000 for the duration of an Olympiad.
BLE insist that by allowing their athletes to wear the adidas logo, they would invalidate their contract with the rival Asics sportswear firm who sponsor them to the extent of £250,000 each year. And they contend that any athletes entered as individuals by the OCI in Denmark, risk suspension by the International Amateur Athletics Federation.
The dispute, a microcosm of a much larger international issue involving two of the biggest organisations in world sport, has been on going in Ireland for much of the last four years.
Paddy McGrath of Raheny, booked his place in the Irish team for the world championships in Seville in August, with a winning throw of 77. 49 metres in the hammer event at Westpoint Military Academy on Saturday.
