Tipperary men played at very first Transplant Football World Cup
Three Tipp players were in Italy at tournament last September
Heart, lung, liver, kidney, pancreas and bone marrow recipients from around the world united on the soccer pitch to celebrate their second chance at life at the very first Transplant Football World Cup, which took place last September.
Men and women of all ages competed for their countries in this inaugural event, which was staged in the Northern Italian seaside resort of Cervia, near Bologna.
Three players from Tipperary were included in the Irish squad - Paschal Kavanagh and James Harney from Clonmel and Paul Hackett, who is originally from Thurles and now lives in Dublin.
Ireland acquitted themselves well and finished sixth at the tournament, organised by the World Transplant Federation and modelled on the FIFA World Cup.
The week-long promotion of organ donation featured seven-a-side teams from across the globe including Australia, Chile, United States, France, Italy, Northern Ireland, England, Wales and Spain, as well as the Republic of Ireland.
With the Irish team receiving no funding from the FAI, the players had to fundraise to cover their costs, including flights, accommodation and insurance, as well as travelling to training sessions.
Fortunately, the community in Tipperary rallied behind Paschal Kavanagh, James Harney and Paul Hackett and the other players in the Irish squad, which helped to provide them with the opportunity to play the game that they love and show that there is life after an organ transplant.
The three Tipperary players will be recognised for their achievements when they are presented with Annerville awards, sponsored by Bulmers, at the annual function of the Tipperary United Sports Panel at the Talbot Hotel on Saturday night, January 25.
Some tickets for the event are available from Sports Panel member Ken Conway, email [email protected]