Status upgrade a ‘pleasant surprise’ for Cork

BUPA Cork City Sports has been awarded Euro Meeting status following a glowing report presented to a recent EAA

Calendar meeting in Florence by technical representative, Ian Mitchell.

Next year’s meet, scheduled for July 5, was already guaranteed an EAA permit, but the decision to upgrade it came to as a pleasant surprise to chairman Dick Hodgins and press officer Tony O’Connell, who were representatives at the meeting.

“It was a pleasant surprise,” Hodgins admitted. “We were very pleased with our meet in July. Everything went like clockwork and there was a lot of praise for the standard of competition.

“We are now just one step below Grand Prix status and are regarded as one of the better Permit meetings and that is very encouraging for us.”

It is a fitting tribute to the City Sports Committee who have put an enormous amount of work into the event over the years.

This year they were able to go to Florence with a solid sponsorship thanks to BUPA who were quick to renew their agreement.

“That, in itself, was a boost for us,” Hodgins said.

“And it also worked to the benefit of BUPA as the meet now goes into both the EAA and IAAF calendars which are distributed worldwide as the BUPA Cork City Sports.

“We will still be going to our loyal supports who sponsor various events but it gives us a great base to start from.”

Next year’s meet will incorporate a match between Ireland, England and an international selection.

“This year it will be a one per event match as there will be huge pressure on lanes,” Hodgins said, referring to the fact that Japan, long-time supporters of the event, want to send a full team to Cork. “Japanese television have also been in touch with us,” he said.

Next year’s meet will be staged on a new track which will be laid at The Mardyke in April and will be ready in plenty of time for the event.

The programme will be similar to this year’s when there was a huge interest in the women’s long jump, the high jump and the pole vault.

“With the long throws ruled out we have been concentrating on those field events in recent years and we have got some real quality fields,” Hodgins said.