Double delight as Ndambira and Pyne strike SIAB medal success in Belfast

Brendan Ndambira and Cabrini Pyne returned from the Schools International Athletic Board (SIAB) Track and Field International with medals. Ndambira took bronze in the 200m and helped the Ireland 4x100m relay team to silver while Pyne earned bronze in the javelin at the Mary Peters Track in Belfast. Letterkenny AC’s Ndambira, a student at St Eunan’s College, clocked a fine 21.97 seconds for third in the 200m. If you’d thrown a blanket over the finish, it might’ve wrapped up all of the lead protagonists., but as it happened there were certainly no snoozers. Grindan Taonga from Middlesex in England got out in front to win in 21.67 seconds, with Welsh student Lucca Tardeivel taking silver in 21.95. Just 0.05 of a second behind Ndambira in fourth was England’s Gabriel Oguagwu. Ndambira, coached by Kathryn McDevitt in an on-fire sprints group at the Aura, later teamed up with Ewan Donald, Dylan Brennan and Abdullahi Adeleke to take silver in the 4x100m, the Irish quartet finishing in 41.44 seconds. England took gold in 41.22 with Scotland third in 43.51. Ndambira also competed in the 100m, clocking 11.06 seconds for fourth spot - just 0-04 seconds behind Jayden Roberts-Edwards from England, the bronze medalist. Piers Spencer-Simms from England took gold there in 10.83 with Scotland’s Cameron Kennedy second in 10.97. The outings of Ndambira have him already, at 16, eyeing up Donegal’s leading all-time sprint times. Lifford-Strabane AC athlete and Deele College student Pyne added to her ever-growing collection with a javelin bronze medal here. The St Johnston teen threw out to 38.73m to take third in her event. A 41.03m throw by Arwen Thorne from West Kirby Grammar School in England sealed gold with Mia Blaber from Kent taking silver thanks to a 39.59m throw. The SIAB is an annual competition for athletes from Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales with the Irish selections drawn from the Tailteann Games.