World Handball Championships to be held in Dublin

GAA Handball Ireland have confirmed that the 2012 World Handball Championships will take place at the Citywest International Convention Arena in October next year.

The event, which is held every three years, will next year attract more than 2,000 competitors from 33 countries, with Cavan's Paul Brady chasing his fourth World senior title.

The 32-year-old has won every major honour in the game, both at home and abroad, and will be very hungry to achieve another global elite honour on home soil.

Brady won his first title back in Dublin in 2003 when he beat Cork's Tony Healy in a nail-biting tie-break decider at Croke Park, before going on to retain the trophy in Edmonton, Canada in 2006 and again in Portland, Oregon in 2009.

"The atmosphere should be amazing with all the players and spectators within the vicinity of Citywest and Dublin," said Brady.

"The show courts with glass sidewall viewing will make for much more exciting and spectacular handball and it will be easier to record and televise with all the different camera angles. I know the promotion will be superb and the plans sound great. I'm really looking forward to it."

Brady, who also plays senior inter-county football for Cavan, has had to deal with a severe hand injury since last April. He will be aiming to collect a staggering eighth All-Ireland senior title in-a-row next year.

His next major competition is the US Open in California next month, but the best player in the world is not ready to compete in the singles division just yet.

"The US Open is still part of my recovery, hence the reason I'm only going to play in the doubles," he explained.

"I scratched the rest of this year back in May so I've expected all this. It's all about giving the injury as much time as possible to get fully healed and more importantly to be ready for next year.

"I also wanted to take these few months to continue to compete at a less intense level and to recharge the batteries and be fresh and ready for next year."