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News release - Young Canterbury korfballers prepare to take on the best of Asia
Nine top young Canterbury korfballers have put earthquakes behind them and are preparing to represent New Zealand against the best of Asia in Adelaide next month.
Canterbury has strong representation in the 14 member New Zealand under 23 squad, which will have its final training camp in Christchurch next weekend before heading across the Tasman for the 2011 Asia Oceania Youth Korfball Championships from 9 to 16 July.
Korfball Canterbury chair Rob Smith says despite the quakes the players are working hard, although they have a big challenge to succeed at the tournament.
“This event is a qualifier for the World Youth Championships in Barcelona next year and we need to finish in the top four to go through. While we have a talented group of players, who have gelled excellently and are really applying themselves, beating the likes of Australia, Chinese Taipei and China will be difficult because those countries experience international competition more often than we do.
“Our players are largely self-funded and because most of them are students, heading overseas to hone their skills in top level competition is not so easy for them to afford, and of course, the disruption we have all experienced over the past few months has made that even more difficult.
“Like most other sports, we struggled after the quakes, which forced us to postpone two training camps. Finding gyms to train in has not been easy either, with so many damaged or awaiting inspection when we needed to be training as hard as possible, and it took awhile to bring things back on track.
“That said, we have been very close to our international rivals in the past, it has been inspiring to see how these players have come together, particularly through adversity, which has maybe made them even more determined than they otherwise would have been, and I know this team will give it their absolute best shot,” he said.
Korfball New Zealand’s national coach, Australian based Mark Garrett, will put the players through their paces at the training camp on 18 and 19 June. As part of the camp the under 23 players will take on a Canterbury invitation team at Pioneer Stadium at 7.30 on Saturday 18 June, which will be open to the public..
Korfball is a mixed team sport in the same sporting family as netball and basketball. Male and female players compete in the same team, passing and shooting, with the object to elude your opponent and score through a basket set 3.5m up on a post.
Canterbury-based members of the New Zealand under 23 korfball squad are: Sarah Bateup, Neville Brooker, Rosa Cooper, Simon Cooper, Mikey Graham, Alisha Muir, Spencer Te Pou, Alex van Schaardenburg, Natasha Van Vuuren. Cantabrians Lucy Bolton and Helen Abernethy, now studying in Dunedin and Wellington respectively, are also members of the squad, as are Aucklanders Carl Chung, Alex Clark and Jamie Osborne.
Nine top young Canterbury korfballers have put earthquakes behind them and are preparing to represent New Zealand against the best of Asia in Adelaide next month.
Canterbury has strong representation in the 14 member New Zealand under 23 squad, which will have its final training camp in Christchurch next weekend before heading across the Tasman for the 2011 Asia Oceania Youth Korfball Championships from 9 to 16 July.
Korfball Canterbury chair Rob Smith says despite the quakes the players are working hard, although they have a big challenge to succeed at the tournament.
“This event is a qualifier for the World Youth Championships in Barcelona next year and we need to finish in the top four to go through. While we have a talented group of players, who have gelled excellently and are really applying themselves, beating the likes of Australia, Chinese Taipei and China will be difficult because those countries experience international competition more often than we do.
“Our players are largely self-funded and because most of them are students, heading overseas to hone their skills in top level competition is not so easy for them to afford, and of course, the disruption we have all experienced over the past few months has made that even more difficult.
“Like most other sports, we struggled after the quakes, which forced us to postpone two training camps. Finding gyms to train in has not been easy either, with so many damaged or awaiting inspection when we needed to be training as hard as possible, and it took awhile to bring things back on track.
“That said, we have been very close to our international rivals in the past, it has been inspiring to see how these players have come together, particularly through adversity, which has maybe made them even more determined than they otherwise would have been, and I know this team will give it their absolute best shot,” he said.
Korfball New Zealand’s national coach, Australian based Mark Garrett, will put the players through their paces at the training camp on 18 and 19 June. As part of the camp the under 23 players will take on a Canterbury invitation team at Pioneer Stadium at 7.30 on Saturday 18 June, which will be open to the public..
Korfball is a mixed team sport in the same sporting family as netball and basketball. Male and female players compete in the same team, passing and shooting, with the object to elude your opponent and score through a basket set 3.5m up on a post.
Canterbury-based members of the New Zealand under 23 korfball squad are: Sarah Bateup, Neville Brooker, Rosa Cooper, Simon Cooper, Mikey Graham, Alisha Muir, Spencer Te Pou, Alex van Schaardenburg, Natasha Van Vuuren. Cantabrians Lucy Bolton and Helen Abernethy, now studying in Dunedin and Wellington respectively, are also members of the squad, as are Aucklanders Carl Chung, Alex Clark and Jamie Osborne.
