A field of 115 players will assemble this weekend in London for the annual UK Wallball Open.
Over 20 players from Ireland will be joined by competitors from England, Wales, Belgium, Holland, Trinidad and Tobago, Canada, the USA, the Philipines and Spain for the event at the Westway Centre.
Ireland will be represented in the Open Singles by London-based Monaghan man Terry McElvaney, Armagh youngster Fíachra Ó Dhúill (above), Tipperary’s James Prentice, Colm Grace and Naoise Green.
James Doyle will team up with American Carlos Torres for the Over 40 Doubles, where John Joe Quirke (Kerry) and Sean Nolan (Wexford) are also in contention.
Among the other Irish players in action will be Adam Doris, Conor Fearon, Fionn Ó Suilleabhán, Peadar Magill, Rhys Cunningham and Ray Carty (all Men’s C) and Anthony O’Sullivan (Over 40s).
Cian Dunning and Sam Dunning will be in the Men’s B with Conor Ronayne and Jenny Mahon entered in the Beginner’s grade.
The number one wallball glove on the market is still available for the introductory rate of €19.95 per pair. Three colour designs available - premium deerskin, cut-off wrist for superior spin and unrivalled comfort.
Ballina clubman Prentice is drawn in Group A of the Open Singles with UK number one Luke Thomson, Brent Viaene and John Sese.
Grace and Ó Dhúill are in the same group with tournament director Dan Grant and Spaniard Pablo Salvador while McElvaney and Dubliner Greene are thrown in against Belgian Sebastian Poitiez and American Carlos Torres.
Action serves off at 9am on Saturday morning, with the doubles down for decision on Sunday. Over 140 games are scheduled for Saturday alone.
The European 1-Wall Tour uses the rally point scoring system, where every rally counts as a point. Open games will be to 25 points, all other categories will be to 21 points, with the exception of beginners and junior categories which will be to 15 points.
Some of the top players on the European Tour, including Irish no 1 Conor McElduff, wear the Kill Shot Pro Wallball Gloves. Check them out here.
"The Kill Shot gloves got me over the line," said James Doyle, who won the Masters Doubles at the recent Dutch Open. "They're first class."
McElduff, meanwhile, described them as "simply the best glove I have ever worn."
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