The countdown to the 2013 World Police and Fire Games (WPFG), which is being held in Belfast Northern Ireland, started in earnest with the hand-over of the World Games flag at the closing ceremony of the 2011 New York Games. WPFG Federation President Mike Graham officiated at the ceremony held on 4th September 2011. Police Service NI Chief Constable Matt Baggott, NI Fire and Rescue Chief Fire Officer Peter Craig and Deputy Director General of NI Prison Service Max accepted the flag on behalf of the Uniformed Services in Northern Ireland.

The WPFG are a biennial sports event organised specifically for serving and retired police and prison officers, firefighters and uniformed Customs and Border Agency staff. The aim of the Games is to promote physical fitness and camaraderie within the services around the world. The standard varies from international calibre sportsmen and women to those who wish to participate and enjoy the Games experience. There is no qualification standard; all levels of competitors are catered for from novice through to those with many years of experience. The Games also caters for a wide range of ages from the Open category right through to Grand Master (70+years).          

The 2013 Games will run from 1st to 10th August 2013, when 10,000 competitors and an additional 13,000 friends and family from 70 countries around the world are expected in Belfast. They cater for 65 sports including all the main team sports such as rugby, hockey, football, ice hockey and for the first time in the World Games, cricket. The individual sports include all track and field athletics disciplines, lawn bowls, archery, swimming, cycling, badminton, angling, table tennis and some which are less well known such as horse shoe throwing. A full list of sports can be found on our web site at www.2013wpfg.com under Latest News.

Games Patron Dame Mary Peters commented: "Bringing the World Police and Fire Games to Northern Ireland is a tremendous achievement for Belfast and Northern Ireland. The Games are the third largest multisport event in the world; this is the first time the Games will have been staged in the British Isles. I would encourage all our fire and law enforcement officers from around the world but especially those from the UK and Ireland to come to Belfast in 2013 and participate in what we hope will be the friendliest Games ever."         

 

Posted October 14th, 2011 at 1525 by Andrew. Comment by emailing: andrew.lynch@pavpub.com