Eddie helping Irish Olympic Handball cause

Former Ireland senior rugby coach Eddie O’Sullivan is lending his experience to the Irish Olympic Handball Association as it pursues a spot at the 2016 Games.

O’Sullivan, currently in the frame for a return to Munster, will come on board as a high-performance adviser. The sport is currently preparing a submission to the Olympic Council for a team game which they hope will be accepted for the 2016 Olympic Games.

And O’Sullivan’s consultancy role, which is understood to be a voluntary position, will give the Irish team a more professional approach.

He will be pass on his knowledge to new national team coach Toni Gerona Salaet, who has been poached from FC Barcelona, fitness coach David Matthews, the 800m dual Olympian and Cork hurling coach and sports psychologist Stephen McIvor, a former Irish rugby international.

“The growth of the game nationwide and the structures being put in place around the national team gives the sport a tremendous opportunity to advance within the European rankings in the near future,” said O’Sullivan yesterday.

Currently ranked 41 out of 50 \

nations in Europe, the Association hopes to accelerate the nation’s progress as they target the 2016 Olympics. The Irish team is currently\preparing for the European Championship qualifiers in June where they face Romania, Israel and Belgium.