Ahmed Soda became the first Syrian national to win an Antrim hurling title when he helped Patrick Sarsfields' to their first U12 success last month.

The 11-year-old only picked up hurling in June this year after arriving in Northern Ireland from war-torn Aleppo with his family in December 2015.

Ahmed joined the West Belfast club at the start of the season and initially played Gaelic football but it is the small ball game which he really excells at.

Sarsfields U12 coach Déaglán Coleman explained how it took just one training session for Ahmed to master the basic skills of hurling:

"From the very first training session he was able to lift the ball and strike it out of his hand, which some kids spend three or four years learning to do,".

"He's a very brave young man, in terms of what he's been through, but on the pitch he's just unbelievable and the kids have really taken to him."

Who knows, maybe one day Ahmed will line out for the Saffron County?

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