MARK GETS TO GRIPS WITH FLAG

AGHALEE wrestler Mark Montgomery finished seventh overall in the Greco-Roman category at the Commonwealth Games on Tuesday.

On Sunday Mark had to grapple an opponent of a different nature - the flag of his country.

It was a proud moment for the talented 36-year-old who was chosen as flag bearer for the Northern Ireland Commonwealth Games team in Delhi.

Mark told the 'MAIL': "Everyone expected the opening ceremony to be spectacular, but no one was prepared for just how spectacular it was, especially for me to have carried the flag. It was an unforgettable honour and experience."

Father-of-three Mark has previous experience of the Commonwealth Games having competed in Manchester in 2002 and finished fifth in the judo competition.

Since then, Mark has taken advantage of Sport NI’s Talent Transfer Initiative to swap disciplines to wrestling.

There had been some concerns about the conditions for athletes in India, but Mark told how the situation had been blown out of all proportion.

He said: "India have definitely arrived on the world stage and the poor press they received a few weeks ago will be long forgotten.

"The village is fantastic, the food, the accommodation and the warm welcome we have had from all the people so far has made the first week very easy for the athletes."

Mark coaches judo at Maghaberry Village Judo club for juniors and he takes adult classes in Lisburn. He has also been involved with Lurgan Rugby Club in providing players which some basic wrestling training to complement their rugby skills.

At the games, Mark was thrown into the lion's den straight away when he faced his first match on Tuesday night against the Indian favourite.

Before competing he commented: “I don’t want to put myself under too much pressure but I’ve been training hard, I’m in peak condition and I want to get into a medal-challenging position.”

Mark is not the only local man at the Commonwealth Games, Robert McVeigh, who hails from Lurgan, is Chef de Mission of the Team NI.

He commented on Sunday: "The opening ceremony is the official point where the games get underway and the adrenalin flows when you emerge from the tunnel to a roar of approval from the crowd. The display put on by the host nation was truly spectacular. Team NI are looking forward to starting competition tomorrow."