World Handball Championships 2012
11 and under singles three Wexford qualify for last 16 place
After a long wait the action got underway last Thursday morning in the World Handball championships in the hugely impressive 21 court arena in the Citywest in Dublin with over 2,000 competitors spread over an array of grades and competitions from four wall to one wall.
What have been dreams for many players for some time have been realised over the opening few days as Wexford players as young as 10 and 11 got into action, and in the 11 and under singles three Wexford players have been making quiet an impressive run with Ciaran Power, Diarmuid Moore and Glen Murphy all into the last 16 after surviving the opening three rounds. Power has yet to lose a set in his challenge beating Ruairi Quinn, Brian James Dunstan and Tim Prenter so far ahead of his big clash with number one seed Eoghan McGinnity. Diarmuid Moore and Glen Murphy will lock horns in the last sixteen stage meaning at least one Wexford player will advance to the 11 and under quarter finals, so far in the competition Diarmuid Moore has defeated Jason O’Toole and Jack Lee while Glen Murphy has defeated Ruaire McDonald and Liam Egan to set up the model county last 16 clash.
Colm Kiely and Cian Browne did pick up wins in round two of the competition but unfortunately lost out in round three, while Richard Lawlor was beaten in round two by Mark Rodgers by two games to one.
Boys 15 and under singles hat-trick of wins so far for Seamus Sinnott
Seamus Sinnott from St Martin’s club in Piercestown is on a right charge in the World handball championships with three fine wins in the Boys 15 and under singles sending him into the last sixteen. Seamus got his week under way with an impressive 2-0 win over Jack Hayes in the opening round and followed up with a similar score line win over Matthew McCarten in the second round. The third round had a similar feel about it as Sinnott continued to dominate in a 2-0 win over Stephen Smith and he is full of confidence heading into the last sixteen where he meets number seven seed Brian McAnenly.
Not so lucky in the Boys under 15 singles was Daniel Kelly who was defeated in the second round by Tiernan O’Brien by two games to zero.
13 and under singles Wexford duo into last sixteen
Todd Hynes and Daniel Kavanagh have both progressed to the last sixteen of the 13 and under boys singles in the Citywest in Dublin after putting some nice results together over the past couple of days . Todd Hynes (St Mary’s)son of the legendary Tommy Hynes has won his opening two game of the championships to secure the last sixteen berth by beating Padraig Delaney 2-1 and in the round of 32 he defeated Odhran Quinn 2-0 to set up a big clash with number nine seed Ciaran Cooney .
Daniel Kavanagh from the other handball club in Wexford town St Joseph’s has powerfully demonstrated his skills in the first two round s , beating Conor Murphy and Michael Egan both 2-0 and has set up a mouth watering last sixteen clash with number one seed Cian O’Conghaile.
Girls 13 and under singles Hynes follows dad and brother in winning.
Holly Hynes completed a magical Sunday morning for the Hynes family by securing a last sixteen spot in the girls 13 and under singles after an impressive second round win . In a three set thriller of a game Hynes came from a set down to beat Maggie Byrne 14-15, 15-2,11-1. In the last sixteen Holly Hynes is up against number four seed Ella Donnellan.
Men’s C singles providing huge hopes for Wexford gold.
Four Wexford players have survived the marathon so far in the Men’s C singles grade with Darren O’Toole, Michael Berry, Paddy Berry and Felix Doran all still standing in a grade containing close to 200 players.
The men’s C singles in the past has been a test of a lot more than handball with stamina, fitness and mental strength being tested to the max in this event.
Darren O’Toole one of the favourites for this crown has three 2-0 wins behind him already seeing off John Kennedy, Marcus Sheridan and Stuart Heslin with little trouble.
Michael Berry has been on fire with four huge wins under his belt to get to the last sixteen in the opening three round he defeated Seamus Casserly, Colum Shanks and Darren Madden before he shocked the third seed Peter Reilly 2-0 in the last 32 and now meets William Love from Kilkenny in what should be a huge game.
Paddy Berry has been moving along nicely with wins over Damien Finnegan, and James Mockley, before receiving a walk over in round three from Jason O’Brien and next on his list is Peter Flanagan in round 4.
Felix Doran is coming from the handball wilderness to round four of the World handball championships out of the game in recent years Doran slipped in under the radar nicely in early wins over John Boyle, Nevin Mccartin and Georgie Ryan and meets Jerome Santerre in round four.
Jason Murphy and Michael Busher both saw there Men’s C challenge come undone at round four with Padraig Townsend from Carlow finishing Murphy’s challenge and Chris Simmons from Canada put paid to Busher’s hopes by two games to zero. Fergal McWilliams and Richard Martin Jnr both put in fine showings also in the men’s C grades before being defeated in round two.
