Report – Olympic Handball Championship – Junior Boys & Girls – Wednesday, 19th October, 2011

OLYMPIC HANDBALL BOYS/GIRLS JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP

Wednesday, 19th October, 2011

By Louise Browne

Larkin Community College junior Boys team powered their way to victory with a strong team performance in an unbeaten run at last week’s VEC SCC Olympic Handball Junior championship held at St. Michael’s Sports Hall, Inchicore.

Larkin’s captain Anthony Hand, Silviu Ashinita and Cian Dunne were dominant figures in Larkin’s win accounting for the majority of the champions goals with their colleagues Iwo Kowanda, Conor Lawlor, Jack Kenna, Malcolm Chikarakate, Francis Usba and Bartosa Zawirucha also playing important roles in their success.

Following on the back of impressive 7-0, 6-0 and 8-1 wins, with Hand and Ashinita sharing a hat-trick apiece, Larkin were tested to the full by a spirited showing from Marino College’s first year team in the final game.

With Tomas O’Brannagain, coach of the Irish men’s national handball team and TV commentator for the EHF champions league Olympic Handball matches refereeing Marino led by Dylan Grimes, Edvias Rupieka, Shane Rooney and Sylvester Kiwitt Marino played a short fast attacking game while Larkin used their superior height and reach to hit their opponents on the counter attack.

Dunne’s powerful low drive opened the scoring for Larkin before Marino drew level through Rupieka’s super strike. Larkin’s response was swift with Dunne doubling his tally, keepers, Kowanda of Larkin and Marino’s Jason Murphy pulled off exceptional saves as Larkin won 2-1.

Marino College’s girls’ team captain Casey Rafferty lifted aloft the Junior Girls Shield. Following another successful tournament O’Brannagain said “I think that schools sports is majorly important and it’s great that Marino and Larkin College come every year to this VEC championships”

“And I have to say it was played in a great spirit today. I think probably Larkin College were too strong for all the other teams but the first years’ from Marino gave them (Larkin) a seriously good game so all in all very happy with how it went”.

While Lyndsay Pennycook who organises the annual Olympic Handball championship added “I think it went very well, unfortunately we didn’t have the full range of teams one or two called off at the last minute but the ones that were here were very good”

“The young team from Marino College were very good, they were good passers of the ball and they played the ball around very well, they’re a team to watch for the future”

“If they just have a little bit more skill in shooting, just shoot the ball down instead of shooting to the top corner like they learn in football then they could even have beaten the Larkin team”