Brady makes handball history with sixth World Championships crown

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Paul Fitzpatrick at Croke Park

Paul Brady gilded his legend as the greatest handball player of all time with a dramatic win in the final of the oneills.com World Championships Open Singles this afternoon at a sold-out National Handball Centre in Croke Park.

Having beaten number one seed Martin Mulkerrins in straight games in the semi-final, Brady was many people’s favourite heading into the final but Clare’s Diarmaid Nash hadn’t read the script. The Tuamgraney man came out shooting and was brilliant in winning the first game 15-7.

Brady opened an 8-0 lead in game two only for Nash to come roaring back but, finding his range on kills, the 45-year-old Mullahoran native closed it out 15-8.

In the tiebreaker, Brady led 2-0, Nash scored five points in succession but the six-time world champion was not to be denied as he went on a hot streak, winning 11-8.

“I feel relieved and obviously elated. It’s been a long week, the body came through it and I’m obviously delighted,” said Brady.

“I played with the same principles I always play with, don’t give up and fight to the bitter end. I kind of knew he was going to bring something different, coming down off a big performance yesterday can be difficult and people were very emotional yesterday, that’s why I got out of the centre, I didn’t want to get sucked into that.

“You’ve got to get up again, that’s the nature of a World Championships obviously. You have to get up again and again and again and consistently play well and you’ll get punished for any error, as happened today.

“I didn’t execute my game plan in the first game but thankfully I got it going after that.”

Brady had made a sensational return to competitive action when he entered the All-Ireland Senior Singles earlier this year, eventually losing the final on an injury default when well in front. This latest win more than made up for it, however.

“When people didn’t think it was possible that I could do it, obviously that was a motivator as well. The first one was good because you’re trying to make it, this one you’re a bit more relaxed, obviously you’ve cemented your status in the sport.

“I still believe that on any given day I can beat anyone in the sport and I wanted to prove that to myself and let’s just say a few other people as well.”

Asked would he hang up the gloves or continue to compete, Brady said: “I enjoy playing but it takes a huge effort. It takes a couple of hours of rehab work just to be able to play – gone is the day where I could just go in and do a 45-minute weights session and you’re done, your gym is done. This is every day, trying to get the body right to do that, so I have to see have I got the motivation again.

“But look, I’d like to play another tournament in the States, one of the pro stops. Look, never say never, I really don’t know. The last time I just kind of quit so I may do that again, I don’t have any plans. I’ll just see how the next few weeks go.”

There were emotional scenes after the match as Brady dedicated his win to the late Kit Finnegan from Kingscourt.