ANGLING World Freshwater Angling Championships - Italy 2008

WILLIE WHEELER from Derrylin, Co. Fermanagh secured an Individual Silver Medal at the World Freshwater Angling Championships in Cremona, Italy on the Spinadesco Canal held on the 6th & 7th September.

This is well and truly deserved and all credit goes to Willie for achieving this, for many years on the Coarse Angling scene in Ireland and abroad he has proven himself to be in a class of his own and we all expected that he would get a medal some day, this Silver is brilliant but a Gold is very possible in the future.

Following the sudden and tragic death at the end of May this year of our Irish Team Manager and the 1984 World Coarse Angling Champion, Mr. Bobby Smithers, in June we had to put in place a caretaker Management Team consisting of two Managers, Mr. Fintan Lawler, World Championships Manager and Mr. Dick Caplice, Celtic Cup Manager.

A lot of credit goes to both Managers for the job they have done in such a short space of time, we thank both, but we must also congratulate Fintan for a job well done.

The World Championships in Italy was also a Team event with 37 Countries 185 anglers on the bank competing for the honours. Team Ireland did not fair out very well in the team standings finishing in eighteenth position on a very difficult venue but Willies individual Silver medal was still a huge Team effort with extensive practice etc that went on for the week prior on the run up to the competition days at weekend.

Team Manager, Fintan Lawler, Team, Willie Wheeler, Alan Larkin, Donal McGuirk, Mark Lichtenburg & Pat Bartley, Team support, Brian Kane, Jack Tisdall & Mark Theedom. Congratulations and thanks on a job well done to all.

Fintan Lawler said "I hope that Willies success is an inspiration to all young anglers North and South to get out and practice their sport and earn their place on the National Team. Willies commitment to the sport has earned him a well deserved Silver medal and will position him and the team well for the future. Willie is only 27 years old and I am sure he will add more International successes to his CV, I am looking forward to seen more individual and team medals for Ireland in the future".

Willie Wheeler said, "I would like to dedicate my medal to the memory of Bobby Smithers who was a fantastic angler my best friend and mentor".