GAELIC SPORTS WORLD Issue 37 – October 31, 2015 | Page 8

Asia GAA Chairperson, Joe
Trolan, felt that after two good
years in Kuala Lumper, this
year’s games went off without a
hitch and were a great success.
“It was going to be very hard
to follow Orang Eire in Kuala
Lumpur but overall I was very
satisfied with the organization
and the Shanghai hosts did a
great job in bringing everything
together,” Trolan enthused.
“The playing facilities and hotels were amazing and Peter
Mooney, Declan Nolan, Noel
Lennon and Brendan Brophy
should be proud of what they
achieved this year – I know I am
proud of them.”

Men’s Football Cup Final action. Photo Aly Song. www.plusfoto.net.

No less than 27 teams took part in the Men’s football
competitions while a further 25 were involved with Ladies
football. As part of the effort to nurture and grow full GAA
code participation, this year saw 8 teams in action between
Hurling and Camogie. There was also two teams from Ireland and Northern Ireland participating, in the return of a
University College Dublin international ladies side as well
as the inaugural visit of a similar side from Queens University, Belfast.
Despite the fact that the Middle East no longer comes under the Asia GAA County Board, several teams still travel
from the region each year with sides from Qatar, Bahrain,
Kuwait, Dubai and Abu Dhabi featuring.
High standards and the diversity of victorious teams were
the hallmarks of this year’s championship.

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“Overall the standard at all levels was excellent and looked to
have increased from previous years. As can be seen from the
results there were a variety of winners and it was great to see
such diversity in winning and in the finalists,” said the Asia
chairperson.
The Asian Gaelic Games are broken down into three competitions – senior, intermediate and junior with the Cup level the
premier grade but with the Plate events perhaps offering the best
avenue for games development and the real success story.
Ahead of this year’s Games in Men’s Football Singapore took to
the field to defend their title Mid East visitors Dubai, were a major threat as were Seoul in this 10 team competition. In the senior ladies event 9 teams squared off with Singapore once more
the defending champions with stiff competition from host’s
Shanghai, All China Games winners Hong Kong. But perhaps