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Connacht’s Arun Babu has been recognised for his volunteering work in cricket at the recent Federation of Irish Sport’s 2025 Volunteers in Sport Awards.

The Awards recognise one individual from every county in Ireland for their exceptional commitment to enabling sport and physical activity thrive in their local sports club and communities.

Attending the awards to pay special tribute to the volunteers was Minister Charlie McConalogue TD, Minister of State for Sport and Postal Policy who gave the keynote address. 

Mary O’Connor, CEO of the Federation of Irish Sport, said:

“The Federation of Irish Sport is delighted to honour the extraordinary volunteers who dedicate their time, passion, and energy to supporting sport and physical activity across Ireland. Their commitment not only enriches Irish sport but also strengthens communities nationwide. 

“Their dedication is worth €1.5bn to the Irish economy each year. These awards provide an important opportunity to recognise the immense scale of volunteering required each week to support 1.47 million club members throughout the country.”

Speaking after the event, Arun Babu said:

“I was delighted to be recognised with a Volunteer Award at the Federation of Irish Sport’s 2025 Volunteers in Sport Awards, and I am grateful to all at the Federation for a wonderful event yesterday in Dublin.

“When you volunteer in the sport you love, it is something you do to support and grow the game, not with a mind to winning awards. It is a privilege to support the cricket community in Connacht and one thing you learn when you volunteer is that it takes a team, not just an individual, to achieve success. As such, this Award is recognition for all of cricket community in the west of Ireland. The commitment, dedication and enthusiasm that the Connacht cricket community demonstrates regularly is a wonderful thing to be part of, and I am looking forward to another great season ahead.”