A recent health scare may have cost Conor McElduff around three months’ training but the reigning Irish Wallball Nationals champion is as determined as ever ahead of the big event this weekend.
Having lost the final of the Antrim Wallball Slam back in May, McElduff didn’t feel well and ending up in hospital.
“Leading up to that, throughout the whole year really, I was dizzy in training and games but I didn’t make anything of it,” the Tyrone man told GAAHandball.ie.
“After that Belfast event, I took a wee faint spell and ended up in hospital and was told that I have burn-out. I was sent for an MRI scan on the heart, luckily enough it showed that there is only a slight wee bit of tachycardia there.
“It just means that my heart beats a bit quicker when I’m exercising than normal folk which would lead to me getting tired a bit quicker but I am on top of that now.
“I returned to training a few days after the Breacach Open (two weeks ago) so I haven’t had the longest time to prepare but I have been watching videos, keeping an eye on players to try to find their tendencies and I have been training away on my own.”
Having been sidelined for three months, he has come back with a renewed hunger, he said.
“I was out of action for 11 weeks, I did zero. But the break has done wonders, it has me motivated to play the game again. I’m back playing really good handball already, I’m beating everyone in training quite easily here.
“I’m clipping the ball really well, I’m feeling good, the only thing that wouldn’t be at their best is the lungs. I’m definitely not the fittest I’ve ever been but should be okay hopefully come this weekend.”
The 29-year-old Tyrone man always aims to peak for the Nationals.
“The Nationals, it just kind of feels like it has become my tournament, ever since I won the Men’s Open in 2014, I went on a serious run.
“I’ve only lost one game in the Irish Nationals since 2013, that was the final in 2016 which I lost to Martin (Mulkerrins). I just love the game, I just love to compete.
“I know I have probably been the number one in Ireland in the One Wall code for whatever length of time now but it does keep me motivated, the fact that everyone is gunning to play me and to beat me, it’s nearly a bigger accomplishment to beat me in a game of One Wall than it is to win the One Wall Nationals for a lot of these boys.
“That just drives me to keep going. I come up with new shots to keep myself interested, new ways to try to play people – I can be aggressive, can be defensive and lob most of the game, tire them out.
“This year, I will definitely be more aggressive because I don’t have the fitness. It will be the old phrase, serve and kill. I’ll hope to keep the rallies to the minimum.”
After a good run in the 40x20 Senior Singles championship, he is relishing the chance to claim another title and hopes to come up against rising star Fiachra Ó Dhúill from Armagh.
“I’m really looking forward to it, this will be my sixth title if all goes to plan and it would be nice to get a big win this year, having reached the last four in the 4-Wall. Obviously I’m disappointed with how that turned out but I can just see that I’m a few steps away, definitely still a few levels off n the 4-Wall code but I feel extremely comfortable being back in the One-Wall.
“I hope to do really well this weekend. I kind of really want to play wee Fiachra in the final, all being well, although I think that him and Sean Kerr in the semi-final, if it works out that way, would be a wild game, I think that would be the game of the weekend if they do meet in the semis.
“I’d love to get playing Fiachra because he has had such a great year, winning everything in minor and a few One Wall titles as well, he’s flying at the One Wall, it’s definitely his best game. He’s the Breacach Open champion too and he won that quite easily so just to give him a test.
“He’s been beating everyone, I’m sure he’s feeling very confident at the moment and looking to take myself on but I’d love to play him and hopefully be able to show him that there’s a few gears to go yet. I think it would be an interesting final.”