THE Mic Morris Golf Day was held at Pontypool Golf Club on Friday, June 17 despite parts of the course being partially waterlogged in the early hours of the morning.

All profits from the event will be added to the Mic Morris Sporting Trust, a fund which supports the borough’s next generation of athletes.

Teams from as far away as Nottingham came down to the Pontypool for the competition, braving the occasional showers in support of the cause.

“This event itself will raise around £1,500 and it all goes to the fund for the youngsters,” said Christine Philpott, from Torfaen Sports Development.

“This support athletes between the ages of 11 and 21 who have reached a certain level in their chosen sport.”

Mic Morris was a police officer and talented British international middle distance runner from Pontypool who died aged 24 during a training run in 1983.

“This fund is not a willy-nilly idea, it supports grassroots sport and this trust encourages them to carry on,” she added.

“I’ve heard so many accounts of people putting themselves into financial difficulty, re-mortgaging their house for example because they can’t afford the costs.”

The fund provides grants to Torfaen’s promising athletes, which can help with equipment, competition costs and accommodation costs.

“It is brilliant to be able to do this. We’ve supported the event for a number of years now and it’s always a pleasure to come up to Pontypool, on this wonderful course as well,” said Iestyn Thomas of Smart Solutions.

“The cause itself and raising money is more important than a spot of rain. That’s the most important thing at the end of the day, although it would have been nice to have had a bit of sunshine.”

An evening dinner was held following the event, where prizes were given out including the longest drive of the day.

Cllr Veronica Crick, the Mayor of Torfaen, said: “It is fantastic to be able to do anything along these lines to support this cause.

“This goes for the Mic Morris Trust and other community projects. This is hugely relevant in the case of Torfaen.”