Week 19: Believe it or not, things like sliotars, hurleys and helmets are not yet widely produced here in the hurling stronghold of South Korea

For the first time in the history of Gaelic Games in Korea we had a higher turnout for hurling training last weekend than we did for Gaelic Football.

Although, this was largely due to many people being away on their summer holidays it still reflects the progress that the sport is making over here. For some of us, it was yet another double session, ninety minutes of hurling followed by ninety minutes of football.

That we got through the day was a feat in itself given the sweltering temperatures and fierce humidity that took a little bit out of us with every run. Numbers aside, it was a good session in both codes and we’re becoming increasingly confident that we can send a hurling team to a tournament abroad for the first time this year.

To deal with the recent surge in interest in the game we need to have enough equipment. Believe it or not, things like sliotars, hurleys and helmets are not yet widely produced here in the hurling stronghold of South Korea.

Thus, even more so than at home, there is immediate panic when a sliotar is driven out over the fence or when only five of the six sliotars are in the bag at the end of training. As is often the case when we need things from Ireland we depend on a player or friend returning from a trip home to bring some extra luggage.

A new bag of sliotars arrived recently allowing us all to breathe a little easier next time we try to blast a ball over the border into the backyard of our Northern neighbours.

We have about ten weeks to go in our season here and traditionally it is the most competitive time of the year for us. We begin to train more frequently midweek, cut back on the late night parties and train with more intensity on Saturdays.

Games are less frequent here than in Ireland so the aim is even more about fine tuning fitness levels and hopefully reaching a peak at a certain time of year. In our case, the Asian Gaelic Games in October is the season’s centerpiece.

Some of us have already snapped up some low fare deals and booked out flights to Malaysia for the tournament. Before that, the third round of the Korean league in the last weekend in August, will be our final chance to prepare for the event.

It is the height of the Korean summer now where air con is by far the most important necessity. Such is the humidity, even when I make the short ten minute walk to my school, I bring a small cloth to dry myself when I arrive.

Fortunately, I have not had to work the last two weeks so I spend most of my time indoors or head to the coast where there is water nearby.

After training, especially when the suns glares down like it did last weekend, a quick dip in the nearby pool or a visit to the cold and hot baths is a must if one wishes to avoid nauseating a full carriage of people on the subway trip home.

Traditionally it is also rainy season at this time of the year where thunderstorms and heavy downpours are frequent. So far though it has been slow to get going and the football gloves my mother sent over from Ireland have remained unused. Let’s hope it stays that way.