GAELIC SPORTS WORLD Issue 23 – April 10, 2015 | Page 43

U13s over the two games. Blue Dragon had
heroes all across the field and their spirit was
a credit to both themselves and the hard work
that their coaches had put in over the previous
few months. Their passing was intelligent coupled with robust yet clean tackling. This was
one of the most popular wins of the day. After
the game, VAS Hanoi coach, Jim Kiernan offered hearty congratulations to the Blue Dragon
coaches on duty, Dave Cunningham, Nguyen
Dong Viet and Mark Horkan. Kim Miller of Blue
Dragon was delighted to see a first trophy for
her Gaelic Football club and beating the South
Asian champions added to the occasion.
CHAMPIONS: BLUE DRAGON

U15 BOYS
FINAL

(INTERMEDIATE)

HIS U15S

BLUE DRAGON

Pham Luu Vi in possession for VAS Hanoi. (Photo courtesy of Jim Kiernan).

COMPETITION

7.06 (27PTS)
2.02 (8PTS)

U18 GIRLS COMPETITION
FINAL
VAS HANOI
HIS GIRLS

7.02 (23PTS)
2.04 (10PTS)

The Blue Dragon Gaelic Football club was hoping to add
to their first scalp and somehow topple the mighty Jamie
Martin and his HIS U15 teammates. What Blue Dragon
lacked in size, they certainly made up for in grit and determination. One of the highlights of the game being the
dispossession of the standout, Jamie Martin, by a young
player from Blue Dragon who had never played a competitive game of Gaelic football in his life until that morning.
He had only been to six training sessions prior to the competition. The gasp from the crowd as he emerged from a
scuffle with the ball was a telling attribute to the little man’s
determination and enthusiasm for the game. There was no
stopping HIS, however, and Jamie Martin deservedly added to his Gaelic Football MVP awards. James Kaunhoven
won his first Vietnamese Gaelic Football trophy as a coach.

HIS Girls put up strong resistance for much of the game but
in the end, had no answer to the attacking talents of Truong
Thi Ngoc Anh and Nguyen Nga. Defender, Le Nguyen Hong
Nhung showed a lot of fortitude in returning to the field to anchor the defence when HIS started a fight-back. The HIS push
was led by Karen Takahashi, Monica Tran, Aisyah Yaqazah
Mislan, Diyanah Nur, Thu Lam and the uncompromising triumvirate of Reina, Miku and Roosa. Pham Luu Vi had her
best game for VAS Hanoi. Quite a few of these VAS Hanoi
girls go abroad to study next year and so VAS coach Jim Kiernan wishes them all the best wherever they end up. Some
of the new VAS girls will undoubtedly step up and take their
places next year but HIS Girls and HIS coach Mike Clifford
will be favourites if they can continue to build on this display.

CHAMPIONS: HIS U15S

CHAMPIONS: VAS HANOI

43