GAELIC SPORTS WORLD Issue 20 – February 22, 2015 | Page 10

Photo: GAA World Games

On Day 2, we will have the knockout stages with 15 minute
halves for the semi-finals and of course the GAA World
Games Finals. Looking to the future locally, a Middle East
children’s competition will take place and later in the evening there will be a GAA World Games All-Star Awards Dinner and Closing Ceremony at the Park Rotana Hotel.
Looking to how teams might do in this inaugural GAA
World Games we spoke over the past two weeks with some
of the participating teams.
THE COMPETITION

ARGENTINA bring a men’s team from the Hurling Club

a historic first visit to Ireland in 2013 with a hurling team to
play in the Aer Lingus Hurling Festival in County Galway
and now bring a football team to Abu Dhabi for the World
Games.
A panel of 30 players was selected and over the past three
months have been in training. It was hoped also to bring a
Ladies team but due to financial difficulty this was not possible. Kilkenny native, Michael Connery along with Lucas
Ruiz Cugat are the team managers.
Hurling Club President, Ronnie Quinn (Irish immigrant descendent) feels that the team can do well.

of Buenos Aires. Though the club plays field hockey and
rugby today, their roots stem from hurling being played by
Irish immigrants in the city. Hurling began in 1887 in Buenos Aires and grew in popularity spreading to 14 clubs across
this huge country until local social difficulties and stopping
of importing hurleys during World 11, saw hurling cease.
A hurling revival along with socio-cultural renaissance has
been taking place at Hurling Club over the past decade with
first hurling and later football coaching and summer camps.
In 2002 and 2009, the Irish Hurling All Stars visited the club
and it was the first visit that spurred revival. The club made
Photo: Arabian Celts

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