Locals in Australian team named for Paralympic Cup

Following the conclusion of a training camp at the Australia Institute of Sport last weekend, Basketball Australia has selected 12 wheelchair basketball athletes for representation at the Paralympic World Cup in Manchester. The team includes Illawarra Rollerhawks Tristan Knowles, and Brett Stibners.

The Beijing Paralympic Games Gold Medallists Australia will play Great Britain, the United States and Germany at the tournament, which runs from May 20-25. The formidable Rollers team includes eight Beijing Gold Medallists and three debutants - Jeremy Doyle, Kim Robins and John McPhail - while Bill Latham, the last man cut from the victorious Beijing team, makes his return to the side after dominating at all levels of European competition.

“We’ve put together a team with a great mix of youth and experience,” Rollers head coach Ben Ettridge said. “It gives our younger players a chance to gain valuable international experience against some of the top teams and players in the world, and it provides an opportunity for the senior members of our team to take on roles of greater leadership.”

“After winning Gold in Beijing we have gone from the hunters, to the hunted, and the rest of the world wants to knock us off the mantle, so we’ll need to be focused on the job at hand. We will be without our Captain, Brad Ness, 5-time Paralympian Troy Sachs, and arguably one of the greatest low pointers Australia has produced, Brendan Dowler, but we’re excited to have the group together for this tournament.”

The Rollers will undergo a final preparation camp at Varese in the north of Italy from May 12-17 before heading to Manchester. The Australian men’s wheelchair basketball team for the 2009 Paralympic World Cup in Manchester:

Dylan Alcott / Dandenong Rangers, VIC / Rating 1.0 
Tige Simmons / Brisbane Spinning Bullets, Qld /1.0 
Jeremy Doyle / Wenty Leagues Wheelkings, NSW / 1.0 
Adrian King / Brisbane Spinning Bullets, QLD / 2.0 
Grant Mizens / West Sydney Razorbacks, NSW / 2.0 
Shaun Norris / Perth Wheelcats, WA / 3.0 
Kim Robins / Perth Wheelcats, WA / 3.0 
John McPhail / West Sydney Razorbacks, NSW / 3.0 
Tristan Knowles / Wollongong Rollerhawks, NSW / 4.0 
Brett Stibners / Wollongong Rollerhawks, NSW / 4.0 
Bill Latham / Wenty Leagues Wheelkings, NSW / 4.0 
Justin Eveson / Perth Wheelcats, WA / 4.5

For more on the Rollers go to: http://www.basketball.net.au/index.php?id=335&tx_contagged[backPid]=335&tx_contagged[key]=3

Action photos from the NBL, WNBL, WABL, SL, WNWBL and NWBL can be viewed at www.photoexcellence.com.au

Illawarra Players compete at National Baseball Tournaments

Illawarra baseball players are currently competing for Country NSW in the Australian Provincial Championships. The men’s event is taking place in Perth from April 11 to April 18, while the women’s tournament is over the same time period but in Geelong.

Results so far for Men:
NSW won opening game of tournament by 5 nil over ACT on Saturday April 11.
NSW won its second game over Victoria Provincial by 4 – 3 on Sunday April 12.
NSW’s  third game against South Australia scheduled for Monday 13 April was rained out and has been rescheduled for Tuesday 14 April.
For regular updates on Country NSW men’s team’s progress go to http://www.waprovincialleague.baseball.com.au/?Page=51960

Results so far for Women:
Country NSW lost to Western Australia 9 – 8 on Saturday April 11
Country NSW lost to NSW 17 – 7 on Sunday April 12
Country NSW defeated Queensland 14 – 8 and lost to Victoria 13 – 6 Monday April 13.
For regular updates on Country NSW women’s team progress go to: http://www.baseball.com.au/default.asp?MenuID=Events/95/0,National_Womens_Championships/22181/36064

Background on 2009 Australian Provincial Baseball Championships: Several players and coaching staff from the Illawarra Baseball League are involved in national tournaments which commenced over the Easter weekend. The Australian Provincial Championships are scheduled to commence on Saturday, April 11 at the Thornlie baseball complex in Perth, Western Australia.

Teams representing Australian Capital Territory, Country New South Wales, South Australia Country, Victoria Provincial and hosts Western Australia Country will compete in the tournament that concludes on April 18.

The Country New South Wales team that has taken out the last three titles will contain following IBL players – Trent D’Antonio, Blake Handley, Brendan Lower, Stuart McCarthy, Chase Richardson, and Aaron Wirth.

Benny D’Antonio will be the team Assistant Coach while Trent D’Antonio doubles up as an Assistant Coach and IBL Vice-President Jim Handley the team Executive Officer.

Background on 2009 Australian Women’s Baseball Championships: The Australian Women’s Baseball Championships are also being played commencing Saturday, April 11 and concluding on April 18. Eryn Shipp will be the sole IBL representative lining up with the Country New South Wales team that finished fourth when the titles were played in Wollongong in 2008. IBL Secretary Judy Clifford will be the team Executive Officer.

This year’s event is being hosted by the City of Geelong, Victoria and the magnificent Geelong Baseball Centre in Waurn Ponds. Competing teams include Victoria (A and B sides), News South Wales, Country New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia. South Australia is not competing this year but has competed on three occasions. Victoria has claimed eight titles in the past ten years, losing only to New South Wales in 2003 and 2006. (Background information from Frank Booth)

Jets face Illawarra in clash of leaders in State Basketball League

While the Illawarra Hawks could not muster the resources to remain competing in the Waratah Australian Basketball League (WABL), Illawarra does have a team in the State League Competition. This competition is the third tier of competition below the NBL and the WABL.

The undefeated Hawkesbury Jets State League men’s team will face its first true challenge of the 2009 NSW State League Basketball competition this Saturday (April 18), when it meets fellow competition leaders and also undefeated Illawarra in Wollongong at Beaton Park at 4pm.

Both teams have a 5-0 win-loss record this season and Saturday night’s clash will undoubtedly be a strong predictor as to which team will finish at the top of Pool D at the end of the season.

Jets head coach Barry Sutherland has enjoyed an armchair ride with his new team thus far but will come under closer scrutiny in regards to his tactical prowess in this game.

For more on Men’s State League Basketball go to http://www.nswbasketball.net.au/events/2009/SBL/Men/09D1MResults.htm

Notices from previous columns:

Call for surfers to participate in injury survey: Surfing has the image of a healthy outdoor sport, but over time the toll on surfers' bodies can be high. Now a new national survey aims to identify the injuries experienced by surfers as the first step to making the sport kinder on the bodies of thousands of Australian surfers.

Those interested in participating in the study with three or more years surfing experience and aged 18 to 50 years should contact 0404 011 681 or email: 97406251@student.uws.edu.au  Once recruited to the trial the survey can be completed online or via hard copy in the mail.

From: http://pubapps.uws.edu.au/news/index.php?act=view&story_id=2401

Register for Sydney’s World Masters Games: As at late March 6700 people had registered for the World Masters games in Sydney on October 10 -18, 2009. Over 28 sports will cater for participants of varying standards and ages. For example, tennis has singles, doubles and mixed doubles in ten year age brackets from 30+ to 80+ with A grade for competition players and B grade for social players and beginners.

Registrations close on July 31. For more details go to the World Games web site: http://www.2009worldmasters.com/default.aspx

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