Portland, OR, WPH Press, 4/27/16- The World Players of Handball is thrilled to host the 2016 WPH Race 4 Eight V Player’s Championship, featuring the top men’s, women’s and senior professional handball players in the world competing on handball’s most prestigious stage, live on the Watch ESPN App. The WPH Race 4 Eight Player’s Championship will be held from May 6th-8th at the Multnomah Athletic Club, located at 849 SW Salmon St, Portland, OR, 97205
The Men’s Race 4 Eight #1 pro and 5-time defending World Champion Paul Brady will be making the transatlantic trip from his home in Ireland to Portland in search of his 14th Race 4 Eight title in his 17th Race 4 Eight start and his second WPH Race 4 Eight Player’s Championship. Southern California’s Mando Ortiz has announced himself as Brady’s primary rival, as he defeated the 5-time world champion for the second time in two years in February’s R48 stop in Houston. Brady and Ortiz will not only have to contend with one another, but also fellow “Elite 8” rivals Sean Lenning, Killian Carroll, Emmett Peixoto, David Fink, Daniel Cordova, and Luis Cordova. The “Elite 8” will compete against top qualifiers hopefuls from across the U.S., Ireland, and Canada, with each player aiming for the coveted WPH Player’s Championship.
The 2016 WPH Race 4 Eight Player’s Championship will also feature the top-ranked women’s stars in the world, as 8-time WR48 champion and current WR48 Player’s Champion Catriona Casey and two-time defending Women’s World Handball Champion Aisling Reilly will battle one another and a strong field of women from the U.S., Canada, and Ireland. The Senior Race 4 Eight will also crown its 2016 WPH Player’s Champion, with SR48 #1 Marcos Chavez aiming for his third consecutive SR48 Player’s Championship.
WPH RACE 4 EIGHT: The World Players of Handball’s Race 4 Eight V powered by ESPN featured six regular season stops, culminating with The WPH Player’s Championship in Portland. Similar to Nascar’s Nextel Cup and the FedEx PGA Playoffs, players earn points during the Race 4 Eight regular season stops to qualify for the season-ending Player’s Championship and season-ending bonus money. It all happens live on Watch ESPN!
The Race 4 Eight V held its first event in October of 2015 at the Simple Green U.S. Open in Fountain Valley, CA and its second event in Tucson in November. Following a holiday break in December, Race 4 Eight hosted its third event in New Orleans in January of 2016, the fourth event in Houston in February, the fifth event in New York City, and the sixth event in Salt Lake City.
For more information on the Race 4 Eight V Tour please contact World Players of Handball Executive Director David Vincent at wph@race4eight.com or World Players of Handball Development Director David Fink at fink@race4eight.com. For more information on the World Players of Handball, please visit wphlive.tv
####