By Sarah May.

Andrew Duncan from Clonmel, Co. Tipperary  is competing for the first time in the Games at this, the 19th World Transplant Games held in Durban, South Africa. Andrew received a kidney from his father, Malcolm last March. So far Andrew has secured an impressive three medals in the 15-17 age category. He has secured a gold for squash, a silver for badminton and today he secured a gold in the tennis singles event.

Andrew played exceptionally well at the tennis competition today, facing stiff competition against a South African and French competitor, he came out victorious bagging a gold medal. Andrew spoke of his delight and overall games experience following his win. He said, “The games are absolutely fantastic I’m on a high after playing today. The competition here is very tough so I am delighted to come out with medals at the end of the week. The support from family and friends at home and Team Ireland here is wonderful. The South African team are very hospitable and I’ve made many friends that I won’t forget.”

Andrew’s South African opponent, sixteen year old Josh also received a kidney from his donor father a year ago. (see picture of Andrew and Josh below.)

Andrew’s mother Audrey travelled with Andrew to the games. Audrey stated. ” I’m very proud of Andrew. It’s a great opportunity to play for your country. The support from other countries and the Irish team is wonderful and it’s great to meet people with the same experiences as ourselves. The rapport here is wonderful aside from the competitive side. These games are a celebration of life and winning medals is just a nice bonus. Andrew trained hard and trained well, winning the medals shows his dedication and for that I’m very proud.”

Andrew is a student at Rockwell College in Dublin and has just completed his Junior Certificate examinations. The school has been very supportive of Andrew participation in the games. Andrew has proved to be an excellent addition to Team Ireland, and he is already looking forward to future Games with the team.