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Alexandra hosted
the Petanque New Zealand National Singles
Championships at the weekend, with host club
players making the most of the "home town"
advantage.
Alexandra Petanque
Club was represented by five players and three
of them finished in the top three places in
different sections of the championship.
Club president
Marilyn Bunce was third in the trophy section,
while her husband Colin was second in the bowl
consolation. Neill Welsh was third equal in the
bowl final.
"It's been a great
weekend and everything's just gone like
clockwork," Mrs Bunce said. "We've had great
feedback, especially from the North Islanders,
who all want to come back and play here again."
The two day
championship attracted 36 players from
throughout the country, from Kerikeri to
Invercargill.
Tournament Director
Warren McConnell, of Dunedin, who is also the
Southern regional coach, said it was the first
time the event had been held in Alexandra.
"It's part of
Petanque New Zealand policy to have these
national events in as many different areas as
possible," Mr McConnell said.
Players took part
in six rounds of qualifying games and were then
placed into different levels to compete - the
highest being the trophy, followed by the plate,
the bowl and the bowl consolation.
Petanque's
popularity was growing and more young people
were becoming interested in the game, he said.
For the first time
this year a 12 strong national youth squad had
been selected to compete against Australia in
Auckland next month. The four southern members
of the squad, Amy Beatson, of Timaru, Kelsey
Bradshaw and Sarah Lyall, of Dunedin, and Jared
Handford, of Christchurch, were all at the
singles championship, using the event as a
warm-up.
National Councillor
and regional representative for
Canterbury-Marlborough, Diane Findlay, said the
youth squad was a natural development for the
sport.
"Involving schools
as well is all part of the youth initiative,"
Mrs Findlay said. "The training squads will
develop skills and attitudes as well as their
tactical senses. It's a huge learning curve for
them." |
