GAA plan China hurling link-up
GAA president Liam O’Neill addressed an audience of students from the school yesterday telling them the association looked forward “to forging links between Ireland and this wonderful sporting university”.
The students were also treated to a presentation on the history of the GAA by Pat Daly, the GAA’s Director of Games Development and Research. Daly said: “We’re proposing to bring some students from Shanghai University of Sport to Ireland and in addition to them studying English, they’ll learn to coach hurling. The intention is they’ll come back and work with the 1,000 students in the sports training course at the University here to promote hurling. The traditional club model tends to be socially based and centred on the Irish community so it would be virtually impossible to expect them to take on the development of sport in the same way it happens back home.
“This provides an alternative in that we’re getting people involved who are already interested in sport and whose careers are in sports development.”
Meanwhile, the main attraction of this week’s Opel All Stars trip – the clash of the 2012 and 2013 selections – is down for decision today. The game in Shanghai Rugby Football club in Wia Ga Qiao throws in at 2.30pm and will be preceded by a North Asia v South Asia hurling challenge organised by the GAA Asian County Board.
Brian Cody takes charge of the 2012 All Stars outfit, but it remains to be seen who will oversee this year’s recipients given the absence of Davy Fitzgerald. Anthony Nash, though listed between the sticks on the match programme, is a late withdrawal with a foot infection.
