Two Galway players have secured their places on the Irish handball team for the upcoming World Championship.
Martin Mulkerrins and Ciana Ní Churraoin will join four other players on the junior Irish team for the 2012 World Handball Championships which will be held in Dublin’s Citywest Arena in October.
Their selection follows victories at the recent 2012 GAA Handball O'Neills Irish 40x20 Nationals at which a total of 21 Irish titles were decided
In the boys’ 19 & under final, Galway's Martin Mulkerrins defeated Kildare's Niall O'Connor in what was probably the match of the day.
Spectacular rallies, brilliant pass and killshots from both players, and hugely entertaining rallies were the features of this final, but in the end, despite trailing 18-12 in the first game, Mulkerrins won through 21-19, 21-18 to secure his place on the Irish team for the first time.
In the girls’ u-17 grade, it was Galway's Ciana Ní Churraoin who took the honours. The Micheal Breathnach's teenager secured her Irish team place with a 21-14, 21-10 win over Roscommon's Lauren O'Riordain who had no answer to Ní Churraoin’s power serving and remarkable kill shots. Ní Churraoi, winner of the girls’ u-16 title this year and the Irish and USA Nationals, is expected to be a real challenger for the girls’ u-17 world crown in October.
