“There’s a place to be for all these Irish people overseas, and the GAA can be your place.”
More than 12,000 kilometres from Croke Park, one of the GAA’s biggest overseas tournaments took place in Bangkok last weekend. Opening this year’s Asian GAA Games, GAA President Jarlath Burns told attendees: “There’s a place to be for all these Irish people overseas, and the GAA can be your place.”
Over 900 players competed in Gaelic football, camogie and hurling across the two-day event, with teams travelling from Vietnam, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, China, and elsewhere in the region.
Matches were played nine-a-side and lasted 14 minutes. In men’s football, the Derek Brady Cup final saw Thailand A face Singapore A.
Among the players in action in Bangkok was Stephen Faughnan, originally from Knockaderry, Co. Limerick. Stephen now lives in Hanoi and plays for the Viet Celts. He competed in both football and hurling during the tournament.
“This is my third time playing in the Asian GAA Games,” he said. “I also played in the South Asian Games two or three times, which is usually held in Kuala Lumpur.”
The Viet Celts A side faced Beijing in the Men’s Intermediate Football Plate final, winning 1-10 to 2-6 after extra time. During the group stage they played against Vietnamese clubs Na Fianna and Saigon Gaels, as well as Beijing and Shanghai GAA.
“In total I played six football matches and three hurling matches,” Faughnan said. “The most difficult was against Singapore in the hurling final.”
The Games showcased a diverse range of participants far beyond the Irish abroad, with players from across Europe, the UK, the US and local communities in Asia also taking part.
Next summer, the GAA will host the fifth GAA World Games in Waterford, where more than 2,000 players from around the globe are expected to compete.