The 2018 World Handball Championships are proving to be a happy hunting ground for the handballers of county Wexford as the county now sits with five golds medallists as Galen Riordan (Ballyhogue) and Adam Walsh (St Joseph’s) became the latest success stories.

Galen Riordan who has arguably been the handballer of the year in county Wexford collected the 23 and under singles competition at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis yesterday afternoon. Riordan gunned down Gabhain McCrystal from Tyrone in yesterday’s final that had a first set that went right to the wire as the Ballyhogue man won 21-20. In the second set an injury time out for McCrystal allowed Riordan the chance to step up through the gears and he quickly polished off set two 21-7.

Galen has had an incredible season with his list of honours including a first ever county 40×20 senior singles, an All-Ireland Junior 40×20 singles, the Men’s ‘A’ Irish Nationals title and also the Golden Gloves competition in Belfast early in the season.

Adam Walsh, pictured above, won the Mens C Singles

Adam Walsh became the second Wexford player ever to win the warzone that is the Men’s C Singles. A grade that is normally loaded with players had a huge field of 64 this year, the largest in the whole competition and it meant that Walsh would have to win five rounds to become champion. Walsh’s victory included a victory over number 1 seed Shane Murphy from Limerick in round 1 and a victory of 21-16, 21-6 over number 2 seed Myles Carroll from Kildare in yesterday’s final. The opening set proved crucial and with Walsh taking that he was comfortable in closing out the second game.

Currently Wexford have five World Handball Champions at this event and Ned Buggy will have a chance to add his name to the list this afternoon as he plays Eugene Kennedy from Dublin in the final of the Men’s 70 and over singles final, after the former Wexford hurling star beat local favourite Frank Cikan from Minnesota in the semi-final 21-15, 21-11 yesterday.