THE world’s fastest man, Usain Bolt, on Saturday welcomed All-Ireland hurling champion Tipperary to Jamaica, and the sprint sensation even tried his hand at the world’s fastest field game at the Chukka Adventure Centre in Trelawny.

Bolt, the three-time Olympic gold medallist, was all smiles when he met members of Tipperary during their winter break in the Caribbean. Apart from attempting the game, the sprint phenomenon signed autographs and posed for photographs with the team.

Tipperary skipper, Eoin Kelly, said: “The boys and I have had a terrific time so far in Jamaica, but having this rare and fantastic opportunity to meet one of the world’s greatest sporting icons has topped it all. Usain Bolt is a true athlete and has been very impressive with the hurley today (Saturday)… we would happily welcome him to the team for the 2011 season when we’ll be fighting to retain our title.”

Bolt, who has promised great things for the new athletic season, expressed delight at the weekend interaction.

“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to meet other sportsmen who have been successful in their field. I played a little Gaelic football last year, but the guys showed me a few skills and I got the hang of the hurley pretty quick. It’s a very fast game and it looks a like it could be a little dangerous, but I’ll try anything,” he said.

Digicel Jamaica CEO Mark Linehan said “we were delighted today to host the coming together of two great sports.”

Hurling is an outdoor team sport of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and is thought to be the world’s fastest field team sport in terms of game play. One of Ireland’s native Gaelic games, it shares a number of features with Gaelic football, such as the field and goals, number of players, and terminology.