Exactly what something like the Asian Games is supposed to be – a celebration of culture.
South Africa have that in spades and they have pride of place and they have pure joy too. On Friday, at the start of the Asian Gaelic Games finals in Bangkok, the South Africa Gaels wasted no time in spreading everything good about their parish.
With GAA legends flocking to the Thailand capital for what will be another monumental weekend in the Gaelic calendar, ex-Pats are reunited and telling stories of the old country but, more than that, internationals from all over the world have taken on the baton and brought their own identity to proceedings.
In Johannesburg, where the South Africa Gaels are based, it’s not just solely a case of a crowd of the Irish community sticking together. It’s a club in South Africa, for South Africa.
Ahead of the ladies’ junior clash with Singapore in the Asian Games, the African outfit brought song and dance to their pre-match preparations in a moment that offered pure wonder for those looking on enjoying the occasion.
But rather than face down a Haka with linked arms and steely eyes, the Singapore team joined in with their own bout of freestyling to the South African song.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BqRop4uDwEe/
It was a brilliant moment that captured just how much more there is to those games in Asia than just the football and hurling. And every year it’s getting better.
It’s a meeting of clubs, a reunion of Irish and a celebration of the diversity that has come into the GAA because of the great work being done all over the world.
And any time any GAA game reminds you in any way of Remember The Titans, it can only be a good thing.
Well done, South Africa Gaels.
Thanks to Siobhan McCann for sending this our way.
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