Team Ireland prepare for opening round matches as Ó Dúill up first

By Paul Fitzpatrick

The World Wallball Championships got under way in New York this morning following the opening ceremony at City Tech College in Brooklyn, with Ireland’s Fíachra Ó Dúill the first member of Team Ireland into action.

The 21-year-old Armagh player faces New Yorker Kevin Rivera in the Men’s Open Singles at Coney Island at 5.15pm today (10.15pm Irish time). Ó Dúill will also partner Mikey Kelly in the Open Doubles tomorrow afternoon.

Ireland have a strong team across the adult and underage grades and the action is spread throughout the week, mainly between Coney Island and St John’s Recreation Centre in Brooklyn.

Eilise McCrory begins her Women’s Open Singles campaign against Kaitlyn Colon at St John’s at 10am tomorrow, before Kelly and Ó Dúill take on Eoghan McGinnity and Johnson Gonzalez in the Men’s Open Doubles at Coney Island at 4pm.

Wednesday is the busiest day for the Irish contingent. Laura Duff faces Éloïse Clément in the Girls U19 Singles at 3pm, while Kevin McGrath and Nina McBride also begin their respective U15 Singles campaigns at the same time.

Cian Dunning enters the Boys U19 Singles at 5pm, while Aoife McCarthy and reigning world singles champion Martina McMahon begin their Women’s Open Doubles campaign at the same hour. Their opponents will be decided by an earlier match between Beebee Miranda and Ruby Lloyd versus Kennedi Walker and Tiffany Lau Wu.

On Thursday, Lucy McCullagh plays her opening Girls U17 Singles match at 2pm before Longford’s Thomas Finn enters the Boys U17 Singles at 3pm. Finn will face the winner of the first-round meeting between Miguel Valle and Ren Chun Chak.

The championships are being staged across New York with the finals taking place in Central Park.

View the full draws here.