IAMAir Canada ship canoes

AIR Canada Cargo has carried 20 canoes and associated equipment from Dublin to Edmonton, Canada, destined for the 8th ICF World Canoe Polo Championships, taking place from 24 to 27 July.

The shipment of ultra-lightweight, specially-designed canoes belongs to the Irish senior mens’, women’s and under 21 men’s teams, all of whom have qualified in this year’s series, and will now face strong competition from other qualifying teams including the USA, the UK, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand.

The shipment was arranged by Air Canada’s Irish GSSA, IAM, on behalf of the Irish team’s agent Ceva Logistics. The canoes were palletised, then trucked to London by IAM’s trucking division ITC; they were then loaded onto a direct flight to Edmonton to reach their destination ahead of the event, to allow for training.

The U21 men’s team have achieved the highest ranking to date, winning bronze in the 2007 European Championships in France.

Yvonne McCormack, manager of the Irish women’s team, said: “This year, the training and preparation have been tough, but we are hopeful that it will all pay off and that the Irish Canoepolo Teams will arrive home with some medals.”

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