Ulster Success at Handball C’ships

Ulster has achieved notable success at the World Handball Championships in Portland, Oregon.

Cavan’s Paul Brady pulled out a dramatic tiebreker victory against Texan, Allan Garner in the Men’s Open Final at the World Handball Championships in Portland, Oregon today. In doing so, he becomes the first player in handball history to win three consecutive titles. Brady and Garner exchanged points early in the opening game, but Brady pulled away to take a 21-16 victory. In the second game, Garner hit top form and with awesome killshots, won 21-14 to force a decider. In the tiebreaker, Brady was forced to take an injury time out at 3-0 up, after he collided with the sidewall.
Following the 15 minute break, Garner pulled back into the game and levelled at 4-4, but Brady, playing on sheer adrenaline and through a huge pain barrier, pushed on. Despite Brady serving for game at 10-4, Garner pulled back three points before the Irish man hit 11 to retain his world crown. An emotional Brady said, “I just can’t express what I’m feeling – there are a lot of emotions, but I’m hugely relieved to have come through that and it will take a while for it to sink in.”

Antrim’s Fiona Shannon defeated fellow Belfast handballer, Aisling Reilly, in the Ladies Open Final at the World Handball Championships in Portland, Oregon. Shannon collected her third title in succession with a 21-19, 21-15 victory over Reilly.

Below is a full list of the Ulster winners at the World Handball Championships in Portland, Oregon:

Men’s Singles Open:                      Paul Brady (Cavan)
Women’s Singles Open:                  Fiona Shannon (Antrim)
Men’s Doubles Open:                    Michael Finnegan (Cavan) & partner Eoin Kennedy (Dublin)
Women’s Doubles Open:             Fiona Shannon & Sibeal Gallagher (Antrim)
Men’s Singles A:                           Ruairi Kelly (Tyrone)
Men’s Doubles A Darragh Daly (Tyrone) & partner Ger Coonan (Tipperary)
Men’s Singles B:                           Shane O’Neill (Tyrone)
One Wall Men’s Singles B:            James Doyle (Armagh)
Girls 17U Singles:                          Lorraine Havern (Down)
Boy’s 15U Singles:                         Padraig McKenna (Monaghan)
Boy’s U13 Singles:                         Darren Doherty (Monaghan)
One Wall Boy’s U13 Singles:        Darren Doherty (Monaghan)