Sports News

Help 'Our Joel' become a world champion

Joel Parrey is training hard for a crack at the Junior Karate World Title in Cyrus in November, given he can actually afford to get there. The trip is expected to cost the young contender well over $4000.

Trinity Catholic College student Joel Parrey is only weeks, and several thousand dollars, away from a tilt at the Junior Karate World Title. Joel, who already holds the Australian and Oceania title, will be travelling to Cyprus in November to represent Australia granted he raises enough money.

Apart from taking out the National and Oceania titles, Joel also picked up a silver medal in the recent Commonwealth Titles in New Zealand after losing his final bout by the very slimmest of margins.

Young Mr Parrey is also an extremely talented cricketer, who made his debut in the LJ Hooker League at the ripe old age of 15.

Lismore, to my knowledge, has never been the home of a karate world champion. This is our chance to make an impact on the world stage. So if you can help, give Joel a call on 6622 0218 or 0431 188 022.

Someone's gotta do it...

Laurie Axtens
Call of the Loon

It is one thing to sit a one-hour exam and boast that you are an official cricket umpire, as Steve Abbott (aka Sandman) did as a hookline for his recent Ashes luncheon special. It is quite another to use your qualification and actually stand in a game. Last weekend I 'stood', as umpiring is referred to, in two days of the Masters Games. This involved concentrating on every delivery bowled for 160 overs, which is a challenge. Who would have thought counting to six 160 times in a row, and getting it right each time, could be so difficult.

So yes, I too am a qualified cricket umpire, but I'm also loony enough to be a practicing one as well.

What kind of childhood abomination could have driven me to stand, mostly stock still, in heatwave conditions for hours on end? Must have been pretty bad.

I think the seeds of my new service to the spirit of the game were planted when I realised that, firstly, my bowling average was much higher than my batting average and secondly that my captains seemed happy to leave me at square for hours on end. I muttered this fact to one of my team-mates last summer and he said rather tongue in cheek "you know, you can get paid to do that." Hmm, I thought.

Mark Twain is renowned for encouraging people to turn their pastime into their profession and as a lover of Twain's work I thought I would try it out. Well umpiring doesn't pay that well but I'm enjoying counting to six.

So as an umpire I just want to reassure all the players I've alienated or antagonised over the last 30 years of flannelled foolery that my win-at-all-costs attitude remains just as intense and offensive as ever. However, now that I'm a penguin, a win for me is a spot on the NSW Country Umpires Panel and the only way to get that selection is to get it right more times than I get it wrong. Tricky. Maybe I should just concentrate on counting to six correctly for now.

In any case, I'll be keeping you up to date as I make my way through this season; the Umpires Association is already threatening me with a stint in the L J Hooker League?! I can already sense the mental disintegration tactics being formulated for my first round in the top flight.

Anyway, back to the counter practice. Click 1... wide, click 2, click 3, click 4... wicket, click 5... wide, ...er... that's over, isn't it?

Interdistrict

Ken Wray
At the net

Over the years interdistrict tennis has been played between many of the local clubs and associations. When I was growing up in Ballina many years ago the interdistrict competition was played in three divisions and the competition was fierce but social. I can remember the many matches played against the strong Lismore teams containing the likes of Bruce Mathieson, Jeff Latimer and Geoff Hayes. I was lucky enough to be on the same court as Elaine Blanch (Yabsley) - a true champion in all respects. Unfortunately, nowadays the interdistrict competition has dwindled to just the one division, but the matches are still played with the same spirit as ever. This year's event was held recently and Mullumbimby are the minor premiers.

Tennis clinics

NSW Sport and Recreation are backing tennis clinics these school holidays for children aged between six and 16 at the Lismore Tennis Centre, where I will be providing the kids with some helpful hints. The program runs from October 4-6 from 9.30am to 3.30pm. The cost is $90 per participant.

For more information or enrolment forms phone NSW Sport and Recreation on 6687 7168 or me on 0403 161 855.

Ian Leake of Alstonville with a yellow fin tuna caught at Cato Reef recently. The Suffolk Sports fishing column will return to these pages next week.

Catchin' a breeze

Cadet bodyboarder Brody Zagar picked up eight out of 10 in the cadets final with an invert then a smooth roll for the small but enthusiastic crowd of onlookers in round six of the Headlanders Bodyboard Club competition in Ballina last Sunday.

Ben McDonald also scored a seven out of 10 with two barrels and a forward spin in the juniors final and Chris Clarson scored a 10 out of 10 for a cutback to forward spin, reverse spin and four rolls on the one wave in the dropknee division. Even though the waves were small, there were still some high scores thanks to some determined work in the waves.

The next and final competition for the year will be on October 23. For more information phone Chris Clarson on 0422 776 468.

Summit's swimmers seal a second title

President of the Lismore Workers Swimming Club, Scott Hahn, presents the Far North Coast Winter Sprint Shield to Lismore Indoor Swim Team head coach, Ken Malcolm.

The Lismore Indoor Swim Team has carried on their tremendous start to the 2005-2006 swimming season with a resounding win at the Far North Coast Winter Sprint Championships held at the new Lismore Memorial Baths on the September 17. The Championships were held in conjunction with the grand opening.

Numerous personal best times ended up giving the Lismore Indoor Swim Team a resounding victory in the overall championship title. This is the second year in a row the club has won the event.

Gray's great promise

Golf
with Stan Bendall

After a few stellar seasons 19-year-old Emily Gray has applied for a Royal Golf Association traineeship in Queensland. The dedicated Lismore-born star, who won the Australian Combined Schools Championship for NSW two years running, plays off a handicap of three and rumour has it she is a shoe-in for the traineeship. Still, fingers crossed.

Apart from her amazing success with the NSW Combined High School team, Emily has also won the Lismore Ladies Championships, was Northern Rivers Champion in 2003 and won the recent Spring Cup in Lismore. Emily also holds the ladies course record at Lismore.

Emily has been training under the watchful eye of Lismore Club Pro Peter Jaeger twice a week for years, during which time she has developed an excellent long ball. Here is a clue for local golfers in regards to her power from the tee. She hits to the green on Lismore's hole 12 with a six iron!

Apart from a having an excellent power game she is also a very lovely young lady and we wish her well.

Spellbinding Seahorses secure premiership

Ballina's pack celebrates a try after they rolling mauled their way over the line.

Ballina's winning display of running rugby is a great sign that rugby will become even more entertaining in the coming years.

Ballina crossed for eight tries - two of them, amazingly, through the forwards - to take out this year's Far North Coast first grade premiership against the Grafton Redmen 46-32 at Oakes Oval on Saturday. In what was expected to be a forward verses backs affair, it was Ballina's forwards rather than Grafton's eight that dominated the show. The Seahorses Chad Duensing and James Bolton ripped and mauled into their more vaunted opposition with zeal and when they got the ball Ballina's back turned on the razzle dazzle and sliced through the Redmens' line virtually at will. Admittedly the Redmen's forwards did roll-out five tries of their own, but the effort, in the unseasonable hot conditions, left them exhausted and when it came down to chasing down Ballina's speedsters it was all too much.

Absolutely monstered: Ballina's loose forwards were invariable first to the breakdown during the grand final where they hunted down and devoured lone Redmen. Here second rower Dru Baggaley drives the tackle towards the touch.

Zone soccer merge

Football on the Far North Coast is undergoing a major change with the merging of the region's administrations and the establishment of a new football zone.

Soccer Far North Coast and Tweed District Soccer Association have been merged as part of a restructure of the game from coast to coast. The idea is to streamline and professionalise the game all the way from grass roots through to the A-League.

On a local level a new zone management committee has been formed from the previous Soccer Far North Coast Association Board and Tweed representatives Joe Scholl and Ralph Van de Scheur.

SFNC already has more than 6500 registered players and 250 teams competing each weekend and this will grow markedly with the addition of the Tweed competition.

As the new zone begins to take shape a new name has been suggested to ensure the zone is representative of everyone involved. At this stage it is Northern Rivers Football.

SFNC general manager Matt Kelso believes very little will change for players in the Northern Rivers.

"We have endeavoured to provide our existing members with the opportunity to play in either a zone wide competition or in a geographical based league," Mr Kelso said. "This structure caters for the serious competitive player and the social player respectively. We don't see any major change to this when the new zone takes control. Tweed junior teams from ages 10 to 17 will have the option of playing in a geographical pool if they wish to play for social reasons or play in a zone wide first. As for the young players from grade six to nine, they to will continue to play in a local competition based on the existing clubs in the area. There may be some additional sides added to this picture to ensure variety is maintained but that will not be determined until new registrations and team nominations are completed."

For more information on the merge phone SFNC director Joe Scholl on 0419 281 721 or Matt Kelso on 6621 5593 or 0438 215 593. Alternatively, visit the website at www.soccerfnc.org.

Golden days in Lismore

Photos by Laurie Axtens and John McPherson.

The Lismore Workers Club Masters Games drew more than 2000 people aged from 25 and 75 to Lismore last weekend to party and play in fourteen different disciplines. The most popular sport in the competition was once again the softball, which pulled in almost 400 players for a weekend of nostalgia and daring. As has been the way in the past, the women also dominated the rollcall with netball the next biggest drawcard, bringing in 284 contenders.

Perhaps the most stunning statistic of the affair was the mass of players that made their way into the city from outside the region. Over 400 registered players made the journey from Queensland and another 500 from as far a field as Melbourne and Tamworth.

The whole concept of the Masters Games is still on the grow and Lismore has been well served by it faithful events coordinators, who once again put on a magical set of days for old friends and foes to battle it out in the pool, on the pitch and at the front bar.

Event coordinator John Bancroft was overheard to say, to one of the masseuses that the University so generously provided, "Just drop this berocca in my scotch and pass it to me would you. I thought it was an excellent Masters Games and it's sure to have brought at least another million dollars into the local economy. That's great."

Cricket news

• Concerns that the turf pitches in Lismore would be under prepared for the upcoming season have been addressed by Lismore City Council, who have once again employed the Sydney based curator company Green Options - the same company that prepared the pitches for last January's NSW Country Cricket Championship in Lismore. They did a marvellous job during the championships and batsmen around the region will be breathing a sigh of relief to hear of their arrival.
• The NSW Country Cricket Association "Back to the Bush" program recently saw current Speed Blitz Blues contracted player, Ed Cowan, visiting schools and conducting training sessions throughout Kyogle and Casino.
• Cricket NSW has declared its willingness to pay personal accident insurance for local associations in addition to covering public liability premiums, which it has done for the last few years.
• This year's Milo Cricket for five to eight-year-olds will be run at Eastern Districts Cricket Club. Anyone interested should phone Daniel Rowlands on 6624 5479.

Evans Longboard Invitational

After 15 years a small local longboard derby has developed into a top-notch national event, drawing surfers from six to 60 years from across the nation each year.

This year's annual Evans Head Longboard Invitational, being held this long weekend from October 1-3, will draw 100 longboarders from Sydney to the Sunshine Coast including a number of previous Australian and state champions. The surfing will be held at main beach, Evans Head, and will be accompanied by plenty of music, BBQs and refreshments.

The Over 8s Malibu Club has raised over $25,000 for charities thanks to the Longboard Invitational and this year that number will blow out even further.

There are nine divisions of competition starting from 6.40am each day and finishing at 2pm. The finals will get underway at 8.30am on Monday, October 3.

Mountain biking for kids

It's national 'Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day' this Sunday, October 2, and Mountain Bike Tours NSW are rallying together kids at Rocky Creek Dam, just outside Dunoon, for a peddle in the scrub. People can arrive and register from 9.30am, with the ride leaving at 10.30am.

The national day has been held in the United States for some years and the people from Mountain Bike Tours are keen for it to catch on down under.

The day is open to all those riders who have always wanted to try the sport. All people need is a roadworthy bike, helmet and suitable clothing. And it only costs $5.

To register or find out more phone Mountain Bike Tours on 1800 122 504.