RAPHOE SIBLINGS Chloe and Sam Magee were delighted to show real resolve in their opening evening win at the 2019 European Games.
By Chris McNulty in Minsk
The Magees had to sign deep after losing the first game and falling 19-13 behind in the second. At that stage, the writing looked to be scrawled on the wall, but the Magees are made of stern stuff.
“I was a bit worried because we weren’t playing well,” Sam Magee told Donegal Daily/Donegal Sport Hub.
“Sometimes it’s not beautiful, but we can win ugly. That was the main thing. Russians aren’t going to give you anything, but our fighting spirit was there.”
The brother-sister duo were bronze medalist at the 2015 European Games in Baku and are embarking on a voyage they hope will end in Tokyo at the 2020 Olympic Games.
“It’s a big competition with Olympic points available,” Chloe Magee, a veteran of three Olympic Games, said.
“This is a big tournament. Everyone wants to do well here. For us, it’s huge and it would be amazing to get out of the group.
“We definitely started nervy. We wanted to get settled in. That was a big match for us in the group. We played a really good third. The fighting in the second and getting through that big stage, but the third was really good.
“It was just about pushing through. I’m so proud of how we reacted. We fought and we came through.”
Listen to the full interview below …