After receiving the 2009 GAA Vodafone All-Star Handball Award, Cavan’s Paul Brady will now focus all his attentions on defending his All-Ireland Senior Singles crown at Kingscourt on Saturday.
‘It was great to win the award and 2009 was a super year for me, but that’s irrelevant now and all I’m concentrating on is playing my best on Saturday,’ said Brady, the current world champion.
‘I’m looking forward to soaking up the atmosphere on All-Ireland Final day, but when the door closes behind me, I will be focusing on one thing – winning.’
The 2010 GAA Handball 40x20 Senior Championship has had plenty of drama and talking points, with a new qualifier system which Brady’s final opponent, Charly Shanks (Armagh) utilised to book his final place.
Brady and Shanks contested the Ulster Senior Singles Final in February, where the Cavan man dominated proceedings and took a 21-8, 21-6 victory. While this was a comprehensive win for Brady, he knows that Shanks will have a lot more to offer in this weekend’s final.
‘It’s harder to beat someone twice than the first time around,’ said Brady.
‘You learn a lot more from a loss than a victory, so I’m sure Charly will bring a different game to the table in the final, but I have to repeat the form I showed in the Ulster Final, and hopefully that’s what I’ll do.’
Brady is not surprised to see Shanks as his final opponent, and tipped him as one of the players to do well in the qualifiers. The Armagh man came through a tough back door, defeating Wexford’s Gavin Buggy, Westmeath’s Robbie McCarthy and Wicklow’s Michael Gregan but will face an uphill battle against the six-time champion on Saturday.
The history books may be in Brady’s favour as he bids to equal Ducksy Walsh’s record of seven senior titles, but Shanks will put up the fight of his life as he bids to take Armagh’s first ever senior crown.
