Local Pupils pick up Gold at the NI Sports Hall Athletics Final
March 27, 2018
Lagan Valley LeisurePlex was the host venue for the Northern Ireland Sports Hall Athletics Final, which saw 20 local Primary 7 pupils, 10 boys and 10 girls, represent Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council on a national stage.
The exceptionally talented children came up against some stiff competition having qualified from the regional heats, held at Lough Moss Leisure Centre, Carryduff and Lagan Valley LeisurePlex, to reach the final.
Organised by Athletics NI and supported by the Council’s Sports Development Until, the event consisted of individual sprints, an endurance run, standing long jump, speed bounce, medicine ball throw, sprint relays and mixed agility relay races.
Competing against top calibre participants, Team Lisburn and Castlereagh did extremely well, picking up several gold medals. Tom Archibald from Friends Preparatory, Lisburn, took gold in the boys One Lap Sprint Relay, while Mea Mezza from Moneyrea Primary School won the Girls Speedbounce event, with Oisin O’Hare from St Joseph’s Primary School, Carryduff, claiming top spot in the boys event. In the boys One Lap Sprint Relay, Tom Archibald, Friends Preparatory; Niall May, St Colmans Primary School, Joshua Wilson, Moira Primary School; Oisin O’Hare, St Joseph’s Primary School, Carryduff and Ray Brady from St Joseph’s Primary School, Lisburn, helped Team Lisburn and Castlereagh take top spot.
Attending the event, Chairman of the Council’s Leisure and Community Development Committee, Alderman James Tinsley, said: “Firstly, I would like to commend all the talented participants who made it to the final, especially those who represented Team Lisburn and Castlereagh. I had the privilege in attending the regional heats and saw firsthand the level of the competition, so to get to the final is a tremendous achievement and one which everyone should be extremely proud. I would also like to congratulate, Tom, Mea, Oisin and the relay team who all took home gold.
“The Council is an advocate of any initiative that provides children with a pathway to physical activity. We want to provide our children with every opportunity not only to get active but to express themselves, build confidence and be the best they can be!
“I would like to thank Athletics NI for organising the event and commend the Council’s Sports Development Unit as well as the Every Body Active 2020 team for making this event happen,” concluded Alderman Tinsley.
The 20 children on Team Lisburn and Castlereagh will now be offered an opportunity to stay together as a group and attend 8 athletics development sessions after Easter. They will also have the opportunity of joining the Athletics NI Rising Stars Programme in October.
For further information on other school events, please contact Sports Development Officer, Faron Morrison on 028 9081 1969 or email faron.morrison@lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk.