Local duo aim for Commonwealth Games glory

Shooter Kirsty Barr and boxer Steven Donnelly were part of the Northern Ireland team which flew out to India yesterday after a week of debate over whether the panel should travel amid question marks over facilities in the athletes' village and security concerns.

The NI Commonwealth Games Council eventually gave the trip the green light on Friday after receiving assurances that the athletes' village would be in suitable condition by the team's arrival on Tuesday.

For Shankbridge woman Kirsty, who will compete in the women's pairs and the women's trap individual, it was a sigh of relief at the decision, enabling her to reach the pinnacle of her career to date.

"Kirsty has been really looking forward to going – she was never not going," her father Clifford told Times Sport.

"Obviously, from a parent's perspective we're going to have concerns about the security aspect and the possible terrorist threat but she had no reservations at all.

"She has competed in India before at the Commonwealth Shooting Federation Championships earlier this year so she's aware of the facilities and culture of the country.

"If you go out to India, you have to expect that things might not be up to what we might describe as Western standards.

"But the shooting events don't begin until maybe a couple of weeks after they arrive, so it will give the team members a chance to acclimatise and get used to the conditions they'll face."

Kirsty's exploits in that earlier trip to India – where she returned home with gold and bronze medals – saw her elevated to the Great Britain team and she has been touted as a potential medal contender in Delhi.

"She competed for GB at the World Championships but her form dipped a wee bit after that. There is more expectation on her now and she has said she just wants to keep focused on what she's doing," added Clifford.

Boxer Donnelly will compete in the light-welterweight (64kg) division when the boxing begins next week.

There will also be competitors who, although from outside the Ballymena area, represent clubs in the borough including Ballymena Bowling Club duo Jennifer Dowds (Cloughmills) and Donna McCloy (Ballymoney), while athletes Christine McMahon, Joanna Mills and Jo Patterson all represent Ballymena and Antrim Athletics Club.

And there's a further Ballymena link as Woodside Road Industrial Estate-based firm Magee Clothing has provided the formal clothing which the Northern Ireland team will wear at this Sunday's opening ceremony.