A quiet demeanour aligned with a steely determination has helped propel Mullahoran man Paul Brady to the forefront of world handball. Paul who is a member of the famous "Gunner" Brady family now carries on the proud tradition fostered by his father's brother, Phil 'The Gunner' Brady who earned a national reputation for his exploits with the famous Cavan teams of the forties. Paul's dad, Danny, his brothers Gerard, Danny and cousin, Ciaran have all donned the Cavan colours over the years, while Paul, is also recognised as one of Cavan's best footballers, playing with his club and county teams when handball allows him time to do so. At a national level, the "Gunner" Brady name was renowned, but now Paul has taken it to an new level with his exploits on the handball courts of Ireland and abroad. A brief look at his handball achievements is enough to convince even those who may not have an interest in the sport that this young man is indeed a handball phenonmen. Paul created his own unique piece of sporting history when he won the US Open handball title in 2005 - breaking a sequence in the fifty-five year running of the event of being not only the first Irishman to win the title but the first foreigner. Paul proved to be a serious contender on the international scene when having won the US Open which was held in Texas, he later went on to claim the world handball title in an exciting final. Paul's meteoric rise through the ranks of the handball's elite was further confirmed in 2006 when he retained his rank as the number one player on the US circuit when he retained his US Nationals Open singles championship title which was held in Los Angeles. Paul was touted as the pre-tournament favourite to retain his title but an unfavourable draw meant that the Mullahoran man would have to do it the hard way. With three of the world's top five players in his section Brady needed all his skill and endurance to steer him safely through to the final. Paul had victories over Eddie Morales, Ricardo Diaz and the talented Vince Munoz to give him a semi-final outing against fellow Irishman, Tony Healy. While Paul had a convincing win over Healy in the All Ireland finals back in April this game was to prove to be a game between two giants of the court. The contest went to a tie breaker and in a tense final game, it looked like Healy was on his way to victory when he led 10 - 6. Not so, as Brady kicked into champion mode and took the next five aces to give him victory over the Corkman by 11 - 10 and set up the expected final pairing. The final was billed as a classic with Brady taking on the game's other dominant force, California's , Naty Alvarado Jr. A whirlwind start in the first game set Brady up to retain his title as he fired ahead with great serves and speed around the court, to take an 8-1 lead. The American called a time out but the Mullahoran man was not to be sidetracked and went on to take the first game at his ease. In the second game the American produced a much sterner test for the Irishman when he regained his serve while 19-12 down. Alvarado registered five quick points and looked to be heading for the win to force a tiebreaker only to see his ambitions and comeback dashed when Brady produced a cool finish to record match point. Satisfying Victory This victory, according to the genial Paul, was one of his most satisfying. Having won the title in historic style in 2005, regaining it the following season, having come through such a tough section - recognised to be the toughest field assembled in professional handball in over three years - was something that gave him great confidence. Doubles Champion Paul has not just proven himself a world class singles player, but has also embelished his talents in the game of doubles. Along with fellow Cavanman, Kingscourt's Michael Finnegan, himself a renowned handballer, they are currently the reigning world, All Ireland and US doubles champions. According to Paul: "Michael and myself have a great understanding on the court. We are well used to playing together. Our deep understanding of each other's game has proved invaluable in tight situations." The Cavan duo added the US National Open doubles title to their world and All Ireland crowns when they overcame the challenge of a very strong field which included no less than four former winners of the US Nationals and the threatening challenge of fellow Irish duo Tony Healy and Ricky McCann, the previous year's doubles winners. In the first round, the Irish pair had a comfortable victory over Paul and George Garcia of Texas. Their semi-final was to prove to be a much sterner test when they took on the fancied Vince Munoz and Marcos Chaves. This contest proved to be a real nailbiting affair. Taking the first game 21-19 Brady and Finnegan had to endure a resurgent effort from the American duo and lost the second game 21 - 6. The Cavan combination needed all their skill and mental commitment to edge out Munoz and Chavez in the tiebreaker. This final game was deemed to be possibly one of the best doubles games of all time. Tough Call Having come through a gruelling semi-final, the Irish duo were understandably facing the final with tired bodies. Their opponents, Eddie Silveyra and Eddie Chapa from North California raced into an early 6-0 lead before Brady and Finnegan rallied to close out the game at 21 - 19. With the second game at 20 - 13 it looked like the Cavan pair had the final sealed up. A resilient American team had other ideas and a late spurt saw them overhaul the champions to be to force a tiebreaker. Showing great mental strength, the Kingscourt - Mullahoran combination overcame their tired limbs to produce a display of top class handball to secure a thoroughly deserving 11 - 4 victory to secure their first doubles title on American soil. Commitment Like all great and talented world athletes, Paul Brady's rise to the top of the professional handball world was not achieved without sacrifice. According to Paul: "At this point in my life sport is the most important thing, so with that frame of mind it is imperative that I win, otherwise it would all be pointless. Realistically, I will only have a few years at the top and while it is sometimes hard to keep going, I just focus on the chalenge at hand. I rarely dwell on the commitment. I train up to three times a day between, massage, weights, pool, football and handball sessions. The demands are pretty steep but presently I am working as a GAA coach in Cavan which allows some degree of flexibility for my hectic training schedule." Paul says, "This year the US Nationals will take place in May and with the world championships held ever three years, there will be time to settle down and play football." This will be welcome news for the Cavan team management as Paul has shown himself to be equally talented with the big ball as he is with the small one. Force of the future Paul's emergence on the world scene has been meteoric. His back to back wins at the US Nationals have shown seasoned observers that the young Irishman will be a force to be reckoned for the forthcoming seasons. The quiet Irishman's manner belies his power, control, nerve and talent, all assets that will help keep the chasing pack on their toes as they aspire to emulate the exploits of the Mullahoran handballer. Tweet

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