The Carlow flag will be flying high at the World Handball Championships in the US this week.
Daniel Fenlon, Kevin and John Rossiter, Farrah Ryan, Katie and Kevin Barrett, Geoff Atkinson and Aaron Geoghegan will head stateside between Wednesday and Friday of this week to compete. Representing both the Garryhill and Tinryland handball clubs, they will join over 200 other Irish players along with over 400 from the USA.
The UK, Australia, Canada, Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico and Trinidad are also well represented.
The venue this year is the University of Minnesota Recreation and Wellness Center, the tournament itself taking place from 9-19 August. One-wall and wallball for all divisions begin on 9 August with a Parade of Nations on 12 August. The four-wall competition and USGA four-wall nationals begin on 13 August.
How Carlow will compete
In the 13&U Junior grade Farrah Ryan from Garryhill will play both the Wall Ball and 4 Wall (40 x 20) codes in both singles and doubles partnered by the current Irish Nationals winner Emma Kinane from Galway. In the 15&U Katie Barrett from Tinryland will also play both the Wall Ball and 4 Wall (40 x 20) codes and will be partnered in the doubles by Sarah O’Malley from Cork.
At adult level Daniel Fenlon from Garryhill and Kevin Barrett from Tinryland will compete in both singles and doubles in the very competitive 4 Wall (40 x 20) A grade while Aaron Geoghegan from Tinryland will play A Doubles and B Singles. Daniel will be partnered by up and coming Wexford player Adam Walsh and Aaron and Kevin will partner each other in the A Doubles.
Geoff Atkinson from Tinryland in no stranger to the USA Handball Scene being heavily involved in Colleges Handball. He will take part in both the 4 Wall (40x 20) B Singles and 4 Wall (40x 20) C Singles.
Father and Son, John and Kevin Rossiter from the Garryhill Club played in the last World Handball Championships in Canada and John won the World Title in his grade. John will be heading to Minneapolis with the intention of retaining his title in the Veteran Masters. He will play both singles and doubles.
John will play with an American partner Vance McInnis in the Doubles. Kevin Rossiter will be playing the Masters B Singles and Doubles.
Kevin will be partnered by Wexford’s Sean Nolan in the doubles competition.