sport

Sligo's top handball players seek world titles

By Michael McGee

The waiting is over for the most eagerly awaited world handball championships that begin today in Dublin’s Citywest Hotel Convention Arena.

The Convention centre will house 21 courts specially constructed for these championships. GAA Handball have pulled out all the stops in the last 10 months of planning  with preparations ready to fall into place into  the hosting of  the biggest and best  World Handball Championships ever to take place.

 Thirty countries are taking part and 2,000 competitors all vying to become champions. The events range from Boys/Girls U-11 to Over 80’s.  

Sligo will be well represented with 8 players from the Yeats County aiming for World titles.

 It won’t be easy for the likes of Shane Bruen from the Collooney Club and well known Sports Journalist Gavin Gawley from the St. Mary’s club who take part in the Men’s C singles in a grade with 200 players in it.  It will be a case of whoever is super fit rather than skill that will determine who will win this grade.  

Martin Cooney & Oisin Quinn both from the Castleconnor club are both in the Silver Masters B singles grade while Ballymote’s Francis McCann is entered in the Golden Masters A singles grade. McCann went to the All-Ireland final of both the 60 x 30 & 40 x 20 Golden Masters A singles this year only to be beaten by the same player in Kildare’s Michael Dowling. The Ballymote man could face the lilywhite player again and may make it 3 rd time lucky and gain revenge for those All-Ireland defeats. Mc Cann is seeded no.4 in the singles the highest ranked Sligo player in the championships.

 It is an historic occasion for the Quinn family from Castleconnor with Dad Oisin, son Odhran and daughter Aoife all determined to make an impact.  All the Sligo players will face stern opposition with McCann and Cooney seen as Sligo’s best chance of winning major honours.

The first Sligo players into action will be Shane Bruen & Gavin Cawley in the Men’s C singles. This gets underway at 3.30 today.  Tomorrow Friday sees Odhran Quinn in action in the Boys U-13 singles and later that evening Francis McCann will play the winner of the Paul Williams / Pecheilli English tie in the Golden Masters A contest.

Photo: Members of the Sligo handball team taking part in The World Handball Championships along with Fergus O' Donovan General Manager Radisson Hotel sponsors and Peter Chambers - Chairman Sligo Handball Board.

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