Mullahoran native Paul Brady is regarded as one of the most exciting handball talents in the world. Here he reflects with Kevin Carney on a magnificent season in 2002. Handball may have been discovered by the Olmecs in Mexico, honed by the Spartans in Greece and professionalised by the North Americans but it's the Irish these days who are now making the greatest waves in the sport. With almost a dozen countries now taking part in the World Handball Championships in recent years, the game has seldom enjoyed a higher profile globally. At the tail-end of 2002 Cavan's very own number one player, Paul Brady, launched himself into the sport's premier shop window when winning his first Pro-Stop tournament in the U.S.A. In every sporting context, things just keep getting better and better for the Mullahoran athlete. A call-up to Mattie Kerrigan's senior county team on the back of some outstanding displays for the Dreadnoughts in 2002 would have been enough to be getting on with for most sportspeople. But for the highly-talented 23-year old, the happenings inside the handball court really took the biscuit. Last December, the multi-talented sportsman became the first Irish player to win a US Handball Association Pro-Stop tournament. En route to his historic victory, the young Breffniman did not drop a single game as he saw off successive challenges from such household names of the sport across the water as Marcos Chavez, Tyler Hamel, Anton Wilson and Vince Munoz. Ironically, such is the demand on Paul's time nowadays that he was unable to receive his Ulster GAA Writers' merit award for December 2002 in person. And the reason for his absence? Well, Paul was on the move, as is his wont. This time he was away in Tenerife for a holiday in the company of the Cavan senior football squad. Unsurprisingly Paul - who plays his handball out of the Kingscourt club - could be found practising on the club's top-of-the range court the morning before the Breffni Blues jetted off to the Canary Islands. By now, the affable sportsman is well used to having kudos spiralling his way. In 1998, for instance, he also scooped the December monthly merit award and the annual Ulster GAA Writers award for that year too. Meanwhile last December, the Mullahoran native was afforded the title of Cavan Handballer of the Year. Of course, down the years Paul has also linked up on a frequent basis with the game's most prestigious glittering prizes including, the 17 and under Waterford Crystal World title in 1997, the United States Handball Association 19 and under titles in both 1998 and 1999. And apart from his achievement in scooping his latest world title, Paul has the distinction of being the reigning Leinster Open champion. Son of Danny and Lily Brady of 'Gunner' Brady fame, Paul has come a long way in the sport of handball in a relatively short space of time. "I learned a lot about handball and improved my game a lot at Saint Pat's in Cavan where Father Gilhooley was a great help. "Over the years I got great support too from the Mullahoran Handball Club and in more recent years from Kingscourt Handball Club." Extremely mobile around the court, blessed with an astute 'handball brain' and boasting a great positional sense, the skilful Brady is hitting the ball arguably harder now than at any time in his career. And with the temperament to complement his innate skills, the world seems to be his oyster. Indeed the performances he produced in winning the recent Pro-Stop tournament in Milwaukee suggest that the number one spot in the world is a perch which is tantalisingly close as 2003 gets up and running. For his part, Paul has no hesitation in fingering the Pro-Stop victory as the most satisfying and most significant of his handball career to date. One of six such tournaments in the year, the aforementioned Pro-Stop event in Milwaukee saw Paul take his place along with the top 16 handballers in the world. Paul had signalled his intention of making the breakthrough as he had made the semi-finals of three Pro-Stop tournaments over the last three years. "The U.S handball circuit is the toughest and the best in the world so I was delighted to win in Milwaukee. "All the best Americans, Mexicans and Canadians take part in the Pro-Stop events so to come out on top in the last one was the highlight for me so far." And the standard of play over there? "The standard of handball in north America has traditionally been a bit higher than in Ireland but that gap is narrowing every year as more and more Irish players get a taste of the competitions across the Atlantic. " Michael Finnegan from Kingscourt was over there for a while and Tony Healy from Cork, who is a three-times All-Ireland champion, is 6th in the world right now so the Irish are on the way up and breaking new ground." For the last two years and more, Paul has found himself spending more and more time over in north America competing in tournaments which run from October to June. Last year he estimates he was on the U.S circuit for nine out of the twelve months. He admits that he is near enough a semi-professional handballer at this stage. "I was on the circuit for most of 2002. I'd say I made at least six trips back and forth during the year, staying maybe for two weeks at a time and then coming home for a short while before returning. "I found last year a very draining experience though, both physically and mentally though," confesses Paul who continued his good form from 2001 when he defeated all the top players outside of the top three and, in the process, created another bit of history by becoming the first Irish player to be ranked within the world's top 12 players. Reflecting on his glorious win in Milwaukee, Paul says that his opening Pro-Stop tournament of the season in Seattle last November proved of great help in honing his preparation for the following event in Milwaukee. "I reached the quarter-final in Seattle and although I was disappointed to not to progress into the last four, it was a great learning experience. "I gained a lot of confidence and self-belief from playing against the top players. " I also learned different shots from the different players I came up against." And the Seattle trip duly formed the precursor to Paul's historic Pro-Stop tournament win in Milwaukee. A two straight sets win over number 9 seed Marcos Chavez (California) eased the Cavanman into the quarter-finals and a meeting with number five seed Tyler Hamel from Houston, Texas. Paul's speed around the court was again phenomenal and Hamel couldn't quite hit enough aces. Another two straight sets wins put the Kingscourt clubman into the semi-final where he would meet number 8 seed Anton Wilson, shock victor over number one seed David Chapman in the other side of the tournament draw. Again his more powerful opponents couldn't outwit the Cavan star and a 21-7, 21-10 win was secured. Elsewhere the seeding system held good and, as such, number two seed Vince Munoz advanced to meet Paul in the decider. Once more, the 'Gunner' showed tremendously consistent form. Fresh and focussed, Paul was well on top throughout the opening game and breezed to a 21-9 win. In the second game though, Munoz began well and actually led by 9-3 and then 12-6. But the Mullahoran native then showed true grit and with some spectacular shots got back on level terms, 12-12, as the drama continued to unfold. With the winning post in sight, Paul upped the ante to edge into the lead and in a powerful surge to the winners' enclosure eventually came out on top by 21-12. "I was surprised that Chapman was beaten at the quarter-final stage but having played him twice before, I felt that I was capable of beating him anyway had we met. "The last time we met, I led him 7-3 but I panicked and fell apart. By the time the Milwaukee tournament came around, I felt more confident and had a greater self-belief. " I had become that bit more used to the ball they use over there. It's lighter and takes a bit of getting used to." It's obvious that Paul has the aforementioned Chapman clearly in his sights as another season gathers pace. Chapman has been the undisputed number one of handball, worldwide, for the last eleven years almost but Paul knows that at 28 years of age he (Chapman) can't go on forever. "I know I have still a long way to go to actually be confident of being the likes of Chapman each time we meet but I'm no longer in awe of him or any of the other top seeds." And Paul's targets for 2003? "The senior All-Ireland title is one I want to win. The All-Irelands are on in March/April. Then there's the U.S Nationals in the first week of June and later, in October, the World Championships. I'll be giving all three tournaments my best shot." Watch out Mr. Chapman and co. is all we can say! Tweet

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