Strong Mayo Diaspora contingent involved in Asian Gaelic Games
Pictured at the Asian Games (AGG) launch in Croke Park on All-Ireland football final weekend were from left: Michael Murphy (Asian Games Ambassador), Vincent Neary (President Connacht GAA Council) Helen O'Rourke (LGFA CEO), Ciaran McLoughlin (Ulster and World GAA President), Conor Melvin (Asian GAA County Board chairman), Joe Trolin (ACB Development Officer) Seamus McHugh (Study Ireland AGG sponsor) and Ger Duignan (Chairperson, Thailand GAA)
The Asian County Board recently held a launch at Croke Park for its annual marquee tournament, the Asian Gaelic Games, to be held in Bangkok on the weekend of November 23 and 24.
Around 24 clubs and over 700 players are expected to attend the games which will be played over 2 days in a blitz type format in the tropical heat of Thailand. The games are 9 a side 7 minutes a half with 10 minutes a half for the final and football, hurling and camogie will all be on show.
Two tournament ambassadors are also brought over from Ireland from the GAA and LGFA as well as the top referees. This year it was announced that Michael Murphy of Donegal and Louise Ni Mhuircheartaigh of Kerry will travel over for the games. They will be auctioned off as celebrity bainisteoiri for charity and the winning bidders will have them assist their team on the line and huddle throughout the weekend.
Referee David Gough is also confirmed which will no doubt add some additional excitement to the games for all the Irish diaspora competing over the weekend.
As well as a strong Mayo contingent on the Asian Board, such as Mayo native Conor Melvin (Asian GAA County Board Chairman), they are supported additionally by some fantastic Mayo entrepreneurs and businesspeople that have made Asia their home.
Pat Gorham, MFE formwork technology, of Belmullet now Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia has been a long-time sponsor of the Asian Games and a backbone to his club Orang Eire and indeed the larger Irish community in Asia.
This year has also seen new sponsors get on board with Seamus McHugh, a Castlebar native based in Bangkok and his company Study Ireland sponsoring the event for the first time.
Also sponsoring the Asian Games and hailing from north Mayo is Chris Walshe whose company Bolt, based out of Singapore and Taiwan, provides STEM education solutions to Private, Bilingual and International Schools across Asia. Chris, as well as being the North Asian officer, is making a documentary on the history of the GAA in Asia and the tragic yet fascinating story of Derek Brady and how the inaugural men's senior trophy was named after him.
