2024 oneills.com World Wallball Championships – McMahon triumphs in Limerick

Eighteen months ago, there were serious question marks over Martina McMahon’s future in elite-level handball. The Limerick left-hander sustained a very serious back injury while playing soccer – an innocuous turn in which her feet remained planted and her back twisted violently – resulting in an L5 S1 spinal fusion.

Report By Paul Fitzpatrick from GAA.ie

The medics warned her that her career was in jeopardy and although she returned to top-level action, her results dipped and, by her own admission, she was well below where she had been.

But McMahon kept her eyes on the prize and her determination was rewarded on Friday when she claimed an “extra special” victory when winning the Ladies Open Singles title at the oneills.com World Wallball Championships at her own alma mater, the University of Limerick.

Martina McMahon impressed in the World Wallball Championships in Limerick

— The GAA (@officialgaa) August 25, 2024

The Broadford clubwoman was a convincing 21-10, 21-9 winner over Roscommon’s Fiona Tully to take the prestigious title in GAA Handball’s centenary year before a packed crowd of 1,000 spectators at UL.

“After the back surgery, it was a long road and there was talk that I’d never play again,” the 29-year-old said.

“Mentally, it was tougher than any physical pain from my back and I just felt the last couple of weeks that all my ducks were in a row. I just felt good, it’s probably the best the back has been.”

Serving powerfully, McMahon pinned Tully back and ended rallies with flaty kills off either hand en route to a convincing victory. “It’s nearly like a dream, I don’t think it has sunk in yet,” she said.

“In 2018, I had a clean sweep of all the major events, but after coming through this, this one supersedes it. Look, I’m back now, I’m feeling as good as ever and long may it continue.”

There was some consolation for Tully as she teamed with Kilkenny’s Ciara Mahon to win the Ladies Open Doubles in straight games against Americans Suly Ruiz and Melissa Sky.

Meanwhile, there is a new king of the men’s game after 22-year-old New Yorker Nazir Marston turned in a sensational performance to defeat compatriot Timothy Gonzalez 21-17, 21-17 in the Men’s Open Singles final.

Marston – who had turned back Irish hope Conor McElduff in the semi-final – put on an awesome display of athleticism, coming up with a streak of timely kills in the second game to close out the match. And ‘Nasty Naz’ sent out a warning to the opposition after his impressive win. “Whoever run up, run up. I’m ready, I feel good, I feel amazing,” said the Brooklyn native.

“I feel like this has been the best I’ve been playing all year. The whole year was tough, it got to a point where I didn’t want to play in tournaments at all so I’m so happy now.”

Marston ‘slammed’ the tournament by adding the Men’s Open Doubles title along with Tywan Cook, seeing off Gonzalez and Allan Sanchez in a tiebreaker.

Meanwhile, it was a great tournament for the Irish in the juvenile grades. In a brilliant 19&U final, Kyle Jordan of Kilkenny defeated number one seed Fiachra Ó Dúill from Armagh in a tiebreaker.

Cork’s Cian Dunning won the 17&U Singles while Armagh lad Kevin McGrath had a very notable achievement in winning the 15&U and 13&U Singles.

In the female grades, Tiffany Lau Wu from the USA won the 19&U final in a tiebreaker against Galway’s Ava Sweeney. Tyrone’s Laura Duff took gold in the 17&U grade against Carmel Kelleher of Cork, with Lucy McCullagh of Tyrone defeating Wexford’s Boo Murphy 9-21, 21-20, 11-9 in the 15&U final.

The 13&U was won by Antrim’s Nina McBride over Dublin’s Ciara O’Reilly, again in a tiebreaker.