“I have a daughter now and I’d like to see her get into sport, and it’s about creating opportunities for women to play sport”

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Shane Lowry is proudly backing the 20×20 campaign, aimed at encouraging more women participation, coverage and attendance in sport in Ireland.

Shane Lowry is proud to be backing the 20×20 campaign aimed at promoting women’s sport in Ireland.

Lowry’s sponsors are heavily involved in the movement, whose primary aim is to generate more media coverage of women in sport with the slogan: “If she can’t see it, she can’t be it.”

Backed by the Federation of Irish Sport, the 20×20 campaign is dedicated to promoting 20 per cent more coverage of women’s sport, encouraging 20 per cent more female participation in sport, as players and officials, and they also want to see 20 per cent increases in attendance for all women’s sporting events.

Lowry is back in his homeland for this week’s Irish Open

Open champion Lowry is sporting the 20×20 logo for the Irish Open at Galgorm Castle this week, and he admitted he is thinking long-term with the hope that his young daughter will become a keen sportswoman.

“It’s basically supporting female participation in sport,” said Lowry on the eve of the first European Tour event in Ireland since The Open at Royal Portrush last July, where Lowry stormed to a six-shot victory.

“My sponsors came up with the idea, although I’d like to say I came up with the idea myself! But they came up with the idea and I came on board and I’m wearing the logo this week.

Lowry won The Open just 30 miles up the road

“A few years ago, I wouldn’t have really known much about it but the fact I have a daughter now and I’d like to see her get into sport and it’s about creating opportunities for women to play sport.

“I’d love my daughter to be able to do whatever she wants. I’m not going to push her to play sports but when she’s older and she wants to do something, I’d love for the opportunity to be there for her.

“I think it’s a great cause and a great movement that they have going and I’m just happy to be a part of it this week and hopefully I can give them as much publicity as I can.”

For more information about the 20×20 campaign for women’s sport in Ireland, visit their website here.