BLE's patriot games on eligibility

MOVES TO restrict athletes born outside the country from representing Ireland in major international championships will be initiated at BLE's annual congress at Carlow next week.

A proposal, sponsored by Cork County Board, demands that where Irish nationals achieve qualifying standards for major championships, they must be selected before non nationals.

The move, which is interpreted as the thin edge of a wedge, runs counter to the trend in other international sports, notably football and rugby, and according to one BLE official, is likely to prove divisive whew it comes before congress.

"It ought to be stressed that in the past, only those eligible in law to hold an Irish passport have been considered for selection and to that extent, the wording of the motion is misleading," he said.

"We have never set out to disadvantage athletes born in this country but on occasions, we have been grateful to select people born elsewhere, but fully qualified to represent Ireland, to strengthen the team."

That the proposal should emanate in Cork is interesting. There seems to be a residue of discontent over the selection of American born Cathy McCandless, in preference to the Cork athlete Valerie Vaughan, for an Olympic 5,000 metres nomination last summer.

Ironically, it surfaces at a time when efforts are being made to recruit Gordon Kitney, a 16 year old English youth of Irish ancestry who has already thrown the javelin more than 65 metres and who would, obviously, prove a useful long term prospect for the national team.

That the proposal should emanate in Cork is interesting. There seems to be a residue of discontent over the selection of American born Cathy McCandless, in preference to the Cork athlete Valerie Vaughan, for an Olympic 5,000 metres nomination last summer.

Ironically, it surfaces at a time when efforts are being made to recruit Gordon Kitney, a 16 year old English youth of Irish ancestry, who has already thrown the javelin more than 65 metres and who would, obviously, prove a useful long term prospect for the national team.

Tom McGuirk, whose father, Pat played hurling for Dublin before emigrating to California, is one of those who have added quality to the Irish team in recent years and he illustrated the point well with a couple of fine performances in America during the last two weeks.

McGuirk, who hopes to compete in the Europa Cup match at Santry on June 7th-8th, returned a time of 50.47 seconds for the 400 metres hurdles in California last week, half a second faster than his figures at the corresponding stage, of last season.