World champion Brady returns to competitive action tonight
Handball
World handball champion Paul Brady will begin his assault on the oneills.com All-Ireland Senior Singles Championship tonight (8pm) when he takes on young Sligoman Cormac Finn in Collooney, Co Sligo in the round of 16.
Although he won the All-Ireland Masters Doubles in tandem with James Brady, Paul has not played competitive singles since winning his sixth Open Singles title at the World Championships in Croke Park last November. Should he manage to get over former minor champion Finn, Brady will play the winner of Kildare’s Kevin Diggins and Kerry’s Dominic Lynch in Sunday’s quarter-final at HQ.
“I’m feeling really excited about Friday and about this weekend,” Brady said at Wednesday’s launch.
“Friday night is obviously more of a challenge, to go to someone’s home court to play them but I suppose that’s what championship is about, that’s what you want – to challenge yourself and test yourself.”
Brady, who lost last year’s final on an injury default against Robbie McCarthy having won the first game and been well in front in the second, had a couple of knocks after the Worlds but has declared himself fully fit now as he aims to win the Gael Linn Cup for the first time since he stopped competing in the All-Irelands in 2013.
“I’m fully healthy. I suppose at this stage of my career, you’re always going to have little niggles but, no, they’re all being managed well, everything is good. I’m good to go. So, as I say, I’m excited for the challenge that lies ahead.
“I took some time off after the Worlds as I usually do after a tournament or a season so I suppose I was ticking along in and then I got some niggly injuries in the early part of this season. I addressed them for the first few weeks, sometimes they don’t show themselves until you start back training hard again.
“Overall, it has been a good clear run, I enjoyed the training and I’m looking forward to the weekend and the challenge that lies ahead,” the Kingscourt HC clubman and Mullahoran native stated.