Published: Wednesday, 30th June, 2010 5:00pm

Is Brady the greatest handballer of all time?

You can be sure that it won't have bothered Paul Brady as he sat on an eight-hour flight from Austin, Texas to Dublin yesterday morning (Tuesday) but a debate is raging among handball fans the world over as to whether or not Brady's most recent victory, and the manner of it, makes him the greatest ever to lace a pair of gloves.

Brady tore through the field to take his sixth successive US Nationals Open Singles title in the Lone Star State last weekend. For the uninitiated, the US Nationals is the most prestigious title in the sport - held in higher esteem than even the world championships, another crown Brady has held since 2003.

Astonishingly, not a single opponent scored double digits on the Mullahoran man in the tournament, the second consecutive season in which he has managed that particular feat.

Records have tumbled since Brady has hit his stride on the court, at home and internationally, and he has now moved to joint third in the nationals roll of honour behind eight-time winner David Chapman, whom he beat on the latter's 36th birthday last Saturday, and the Mexican Naty Alvarado Sr. Alvarado, known as El Gato ('The Cat'), who won elven titles in the 1980s and early 1990s.

At just 30 years of age and, statistically at least, a better player than he was five years ago, it's hard to see anyone emerging to halt Brady's run. He will aim to beat the record of most Irish senior championship titles next year and already holds the most world titles.

But the big one is the one he just annexed in Texas. The Gunner to persevere and beat the record of the Cat? Don't bet against it...