A FUNDRAISING campaign is underway to help a squad of Cambodian Gaelic footballers reach Co Derry this summer to compete in the 2023 GAA World Games.
The city is hosting the first global Gaelic games event to be held since before the Covid pandemic, with around 100 teams from across the world coming to the home of their adopted sports of football, hurling and camogie.
Among those aiming for success at the GAA’s Derry Centre of Excellence in Owenbeg, with hopes of earning a place at finals to be held in Dublin’s Croke Park in July, is Cambodia’s Cairde Khmer GAA.
Chaired by Co Cork’s Ronan Sheehan, the club has the honour of representing Asia at the first World Games to be held since 2019, and aims to send both a men’s and women’s team to compete.
Both teams will consist entirely of Cambodian players, who have fallen in love with the sport after joining the club’s outlets in the country’s capital Phnom Penh and its second-largest city, Siem Reap.
Ronan told the Irish News of how his dedicated players have enjoyed success across Asia in Ireland’s native sport, before being chosen to represent the entire continent in what is effectively the GAA’s own ‘world cup’.
The club came together in 2017 when Co Tyrone man Paddy Campbell put the call out for players while travelling in the region, and Ronan, along with fellow Cork men Conor Wall and Peter Downey, joined to create what would become Asia’s most successful Gaelic football team.
The club aims to send a men’s and women’s squad to the 2023 GAA World Games in July.
“Initially we had Cambodian players join who had played soccer, and they became interested and started inviting their friends and it grew from there,” Ronan said.
“They saw these Irish lads playing what looked like a crazy mix of soccer and basketball, but soon picked it up, and they just got it.”
The club has already successfully competed in regional tournaments in recent years, prompting the Asian County Board to select Cairdre Khmer as their ambassadors in Co Derry for the World Games.
“Costs for our players to go to tournaments can be high, when you consider the average wage in Cambodia is $190 a month. We recently brought 16 players to Malaysia to compete, and that’s no mean feat. We can just about manage the fundraising it when it’s travelling in Asia, but getting the players to Ireland will be a huge undertaking,” Ronan explained.
“But the players have earned this chance, they put their heart and soul into the game.When you look at what young players have back home in terms of leagues, leisure centres, opportunities to hone their skills and the like – our players never really had that before joining, especially the women, so to see them all not only be passionate about GAA, but also become so skilled – it’s inspirational.”
Source: irish news
