8:13am Wednesday 27th August 2008
By Peter Truman
While Britain’s athletes were setting records in Beijing, sports stars closer to home were following suit.
The Croydon Camogie club put their endurance and concentration to the limit as they broke the world record for the longest game.
Starting at 10am on Saturday morning, the 20 players - seven-a-side and three subs each - endured a gruelling game which finished at just past 10am Sunday morning, a total of 24 hours and seven minutes.
Camogie is the female version of hurling, a Gaelic sport, which has subtle variations such as the goalkeepers wearing the same colour as outfield players.
Players use a wooden stick to hit the ball between the goalposts of the opponents goal either over the crossbar for one point, or past the goalkeeper for a goal, worth three points.
Eimear Hoare, club secretary, said: “Everyone was really excited when we broke the record but the players were completely exhausted.
“There was no interest in going out celebrating on Sunday. We all went home and slept for about 20 hours and went out on Monday.”
The idea of trying to break the world record for the longest game came from one of the club members who worked for Guinness World Records.
Eimear explained: “She suggested it and we all thought what a great idea, though it was obviously lots of hard work.”
The game was hotly contested for the whole 24 hours, with Croydon Magpies battling it out with Croydon Exiles during the marathon match.
It was the Magpies who emerged victorious, scoring 247 goals and 258 points, while the Exiles put up strong resistance with 227 goals and 240 points.
The players enjoyed bright sunshine to begin with but come early Sunday morning the heavens opened and the rain fell.
Coupled with trying to play in floodlights and the task became far more arduous with players struggling with exhaustion and fatigue.
But as dawn broke on Sunday morale was revived and under the watchful gaze of the Guinness World Record invigilator, the players continued until they broke the record.
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