Handballer Killian Carroll is the toast of Mallow and North Cork handball this week after he won the 2016 US Nationals at the weekend in Minnesota. In winning the prestigious final, he stopped the legendary Paul Brady from winning a record-equalling 11th title, a remarkable achievement. In the final, Brady blitzed Killian 21-6 in the first game, and looked set to cruise to an 11th US Nationals crown, but the Mallow man fought back to win the second 21-17 before sealing victory in a gripping tie-break finale, coming from 10-9 down to win 11-10.
It was a sweet win for Killian, who left Mallow at the age of 22 to travel to America to play the best handball players in the world at professional level on the pro-circuit. After winning five USHA nationals, six Irish nationals, five All-Ireland medals and one world title at junior level, Carroll went senior at the age of 20, and by the time he reached 21 had won four senior ranking tournaments including the Irish Senior Nationals. In the US, Killian has won the Canadian and Boston Opens, and last weekend’s win in Minnesota was sweet revenge for his defeat to Brady at the Senior World Handball Championship in Canada.