Irish Team For Celtic Games Track And Field Is Named

Sports - Other Sports

Thursday, 05 August 2010 10:19

Written by Denise Lyons

The Celtic Games Track and Field will be held this Saturday in Athlone commencing at 11.30 am. 

The Celtic Games are held annually with juvenile teams competing from Scotland, Wales, Ulster and Athletics Ireland. For many athletes this is an important stepping stone in International athletics. Athletes such as Derval O’Rourke (Leevale AC) and Christian Malcolm (Wales) still hold Celtic Games record.

The one-day event will be held in AIT on Saturday 7 August 2010. More than 30 clubs are expected to represent the Athletics Ireland team. Nineteen counties from the Republic participated at last year’s event, which was held in Wales.

Stellar performances at that competition saw Athletics Ireland secure overall victory, when the girls won the under-16 and under-18 cups, while the boys under-16 were third and the boys under-18 were second.

AIT President, Professor Ciarán Ó Catháin, said that the event is “a showcase moment for Athlone and the sporting facilities at the institute. AIT has been the host venue for several prestigious national athletics competitions and this builds on that success. It is also a great opportunity for some of the most promising young athletes in these islands to compete on what are genuinely world-class facilities. This is good news for AIT and for Athlone in developing a reputation as an attractive hub for sporting competitions and events.”

Athletes will compete in the Midlands venue in a variety of events including hurdles, long jump, shot putt, javelin, high jump, triple jump, discus, hammer, pole vault, relay, steeple chase in women’s and men’s competitions at under-16 and under-18.