World Police & Fire Games – Belfast North of Ireland
Posted by Jim on August 7, 2013
From the New Zealand Fire team performing the Haka to the Brazilian Ladies Volleyball team impressing on the beach – it was a truly international day at the World Police and Fire Games in Northern Ireland.
Ladies Beach Volleyball was a major attraction on Portrush’s East Strand – but while the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service put up a rookie team with huge local support, they were no match for the more experienced teams from Brazil, Russia, USA, Ukraine, Germany and Spain.
The Ultimate Fire Fighter and Toughest Competitor Alive contests continued to put competitors through their paces in Belfast.
In an event dominated by an extremely strong Brazilian firefighting team, NIRFS snatched two medals in Ultimate Fire Fighter with Stuart King winning a silver and Terence ‘Banjo’ Bannon, well known for his Mount Everest ascent, gaining a bronze.
In front of a capacity crowd at the Aurora the ‘poster boy’ of the Games Jose Gomez Milara, firefighter from Madrid, won silver in his age category adding to the two gold medals he already won in the Stair Race on Sunday.
Other highlights of the day included the Rugby 7s getting off to a great start with the New Zealand Fire team performing the Haka. PSNI over 35s won two of their three games, including a 42-10 win over Italian State Fire and are looking good for a medal on Friday.
Cricket made its debut in this year’s Games and was so enjoyed by all the teams that an additional friendly match, Team NI v The Rest of the World, was played at Stormont Pavilion. The PSNI scored 168 overs with the Rest of the World clinching a draw on the last ball.
The one-day biathlon at Ballykinlar featured 76 competitors completing a gruelling course involving three one-mile runs and pistol shooting testing fitness and accuracy.
NIFRS have won two gold medals for Team NI in Taekwondo.
Paula McAllister, NIFRS, took gold in Cross Country in Stormont Estate on Tuesday night.
Over 200 athletes have been competing in the eight-stage Toughest Competitor Alive event in Bangor.
In Soccer 11s over 35s Brasilia Military Polices’ two teams sandwiched the PSNI into silver position by winning gold and bronze.
In the basketball Division One final, Athens Fire Brigade romped home to gold against the South Australian Police ith the Irish Prison Service winning bronze.
Over 40,000 Ice Hockey spectators are now through the turnstiles at the Odyssey while another 15,000 have watched the games live online.
Wrestling was dominated by Russia and India with four place positions awarded to PSNI athletes in the 96kg and 84kg categories.
Thursday (Day 8) will see 25 events taking place – more volleyball action and Rugby 7’s with the Men’s Open gold medal final in Gaelic Football at 4pm. Bench Press/Push Pull and Toughest Competitor Alive finish at the Aurora Complex. Lawn Bowls and Ten Pin Bowling continue with three racquet sports going on at the National Badminton Centre and Belfast Boat Club