Fifth class pupils at Claddagh NS are issuing an appeal to find competitors for their Olympic handball team. According to the children, very few schools are involved in this sport which is described as a cross between basketball and soccer, and they are urging new schools to become involved and, if necessary, they are welcome to practice with Claddagh NS in their court.
To follow the standards of the game, there must be six players on a team including a goalkeeper; the team must bounce the ball and throw it past a keeper into a goal in order to win the game.
The sport is popular within mainland Europe. Olympic handball is divided into two divisions, the first one is for teams which have been playing for many years and the second is for new or inexperienced teams.
Generally, the top teams from each division qualify for a finals day which is usually held in Claregalway. In Claddagh NS, the pupils have won the county championship for division two this year in both boys' and girls' events. Although national schools around Galway such as Ballinderreen and Bawnmore have become involved in this sport, more schools must become involved in order to provide a more competitive base for the participating pupils.
More information about Olympic handball may be found on www.olympichandball.org
