Sporting chance to be a champion

FRIENDS and family will tell you John O’Connor is a laid-back lad.

Keeping a cool head certainly helps the Clare schoolboy prepare for challenges head on.

As Irish champion John knows, he has a sporting chance to scoop the world’s beyblading championship - a Japanese version of the classic spinning top game.

“I’m really excited about going to New York,” said John, from Meelick, who will be accompanied by his parents Margaret and Ray, brother Conny, nine, and sister Siobhán, five.

“It’s a great honour to represent Ireland and I hope to do really well. I will try my best,” he said. Against him are pitted the national beyblade champions from the US, Canada, Australia, Japan, Britain, Chile, Mexico, Germany and France.

More than 10 million youngsters have got hooked on the sport, which demands the steady eye of an archer and a chess master’s strategy. “A few years ago, every child in the place was getting one from Santa,” said John’s mother Margaret. “We got a few here and his pals and himself used to battle each other. It just took off from there.”

In the US, participation in the sport has exceeded both soccer and baseball among children aged between eight and 14.

Major beyblading competitions in Japan attract 10,000 spectators.

With the battle cry of “three, two, one - let it rip”, a beyblade duel begins, both competitors pulling the ripcord used to spin the top. The top that keeps spinning longest - without getting knocked out - wins.