Conor McElduff's summer plans were shattered as an injury upset the schedule he had lined out for himself.
The World One Wall, alias Wall Ball, handball champion had planned to spend a few months in New York playing the lucrative One Wall circuit there but had to scrap his itinerary.
He also had to pull out of some events at home and on the European Wall Ball Tour, after retaining the UK Open Championship in London, but he still retains the No 1 position on the continental tour.
“I was training for the Ulster Championship with clubmate Barry Devlin and I hurt my back. It turned out to be a bulged disc in my lower back but I still played in and won the Ulster Championship.
“However, the damaged disc effected a nerve in my back and I had to lay off playing.
“I went to physio Tommy Gallagher in Donegal and he reckoned that an operation would be needed to repair the damage.
“Instead I was prescribed a course of epidural injections in the Mater Hospital in Dublin – four injections - and I have had three so far by surgeon Paul Connolly.
“Just one more injection to come and, hopefully, that will clear up the damage. If not, then an operation will, probably, be needed.
“I have missed out on a number of Wall Ball and Four Wall events but I hope to be ready for the Spanish Open Wall Ball Championship in September and going for a hat-trick in that tournament.
“I'm missing out on the Irish National at Breaffy this weekend after winning the competition four times and going for three-in-a-row this year.
“I also missed the Italian Wall Ball Open, a few weeks ago, but, hopefully, after I get my fourth epidural injection I will be able to get back into practice again and back into playing serious handball.
“I'm disappointed at having to cancel my arrangements about spending time this summer in New York and playing there. The One Wall game is pretty strong in and around New York with about 15 clubs all staging One Wall tournaments.”
However, there is a silver lining to the fact that McElduff has had to change his summer plans.
He is studying an ICT course with exams coming up shortly.
With no handball to disrupt his studies he has had more time to concentrate on the books.
“That is a fact, I suppose, but I am disappointed at missing so much handball at present,” he reflected.
Those ICT examinations are coming up in about six weeks time in Belfast so Conor should be well ready, seeing he has had more time, than usual, for studies.
“I haven't been able to do any manual work, either, so I have had no excuses for not concentrating on my studies,” agreed the sometimes joiner.
