Sports briefs: Mayo basketball is ready for new season
Mayo contains exceptional basketball players, teams and coaches. Photo: INPHO/Evan Treacy
Basketball: The Mayo Area Basketball Board have been working very hard behind the scenes to set up this year’s youth and senior team fixtures for the 2023/2024 season. Mayo contains exceptional basketball players, teams and coaches who have the commitment to push their teams to the top of the county with the drive to go further to a national level – and the Mayo Board has been working to ensure that each club has an equal opportunity to participate this year.
Catering for teams from under 16 boys and girls all the way down to under 10s, MABB has youth teams from Castlebar, Kiltimagh, Ballyhaunis, Ballintubber, Crossmolina, Ballina, Ballinrobe, Westport, Charlestown and Belmullet. MABB also has men’s and women’s senior clubs playing this year so keep an eye out and get out and support the teams and their players.
Good luck to all the clubs this season.
Athletics: There was wonderful news for four Mayo AC members after the recent Autumn Open Cross Country Trials held at the National Sports Centre in Abbotstown.
Pauline Moran (W65), Angela O’Connor (W55), Norah Newcombe Pietrese (W40) and Mags Glavey (W70) were all selected on the Irish Masters Cross-Country team to compete in the annual British and Irish Masters Cross Country Championships to be hosted by Scotland at Tollcross Park, Glasgow on November 11.
Pauline Moran was a category winner in the trial and will lead the W65 team.
Norah Newcombe Pieterse is in the W40 team having been third in trial, and Angela, who was a close fourth in W55 category, also deservedly earned her place.
Mags Glavey will be a key member of her W70 category team once again.
All four are experienced campaigners and have played a key part in the Irish success at the annual five nations competition over many years.
They will have opportunities to prepare for Glasgow at Leg 3 of the Connacht Championships which will take place on Sunday, November 5 in Ballymote.
Horseracing: Ballinrobe Racecourse was awarded the prestigious Racecourse Award at the Irish Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards supported by Godolphin which took place in the Keadeen Hotel in County Kildare last Monday evening, October 16.
The Racecourse Award, chosen by the Irish Stablestaff Association, is based on a quality programme evaluation. The survey evaluates each racecourse on a range of criteria relating to facilities for stable employees with the purpose of setting quality standards at all racecourses in Ireland.
Bernard Caldwell, CEO of the Irish Stablestaff Association, commented: “It is an honour for us to be able to present Ballinrobe with this award. The management are fantastic and no matter what we ask for, they respond. They are exceptional to work with and we are delighted that they won the award this year.” Michael Burke, vice chairman at Ballinrobe Racecourse said: “We are delighted with the award and appreciate the honour that is besotted upon us.” John Flannelly, Racecourse Manager, added: “We appreciate the dedication and hard work of the all stable staff working in the industry. It is only right and fitting that we provide the best possible facilities for those travelling to Ballinrobe.
“We are very proud to have won the award. Development is ongoing at Ballinrobe at the moment. We feel we set a high standard and we aim to maintain and improve upon this. Thank you again to the Irish Stablestaff Association for nominating us for this award and Godolphin for their sponsorship. Finally, I would like to congratulate all the Irish Thoroughbred Industry Employee Award winners on the night.”
