Posts

Australian tennis champs to feature mixed doubles, increased prize money

/in /by

A tennis player prepares to swing at the ball

Tennis Australia has announced that its 2018 Australian Tennis Championships for athletes with an intellectual impairment, running from 24-27 January in Melbourne, will feature mixed doubles for the first time as well as increased prize money.

Taking place in partnership with Sport Inclusion Australia, the competition is being sanctioned by the International Federation for Intellectual Impairment Sport (World Intellectual Impairment Sport) once again.

It is the 21st edition of the tournament and is open to players from around the world. It will be run alongside the Australian Open with athletes playing on the same outside courts.

As well as mixed doubles, titles in men’s and women’s singles and doubles will be contested. Preliminary round and main draw matches will be held at the Albert Reserve and finals at the iconic Melbourne Park.

Singles winners will receive AUD 850, doubles AUD 400 each and AD 300 for the mixed doubles. Runners-up will be handed AUD 400, 250 and 150 respectively.

Entry information is available at the World Intellectual Impairment Sport events page.

Grant and scholarships awarded to next generation of Australian athletes

/in /by
A group of people at a presentation

Recipients of the Next Generation Athlete programme grants and scholarships with Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk, Lady Mayoress Anne Quirk and Robyn Smith CEO Sport Inclusion Australia.

Lord Mayor Graham Quirk and Lady Mayoress Anne Quirk of Brisbane, Australia, announced Next Generation Athlete grants and scholarships to 17 local athletes at a reception held at the Town Hall on Tuesday (25 July).

The fourth round of the programme is intended to help athletes realise their sporting dreams and is supported by the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Trust. It could also assist in their preparation for the 2019 International Federation for Intellectual Impairment Sport (World Intellectual Impairment Sport) Global Games, which are being held in the Australian city.

“Over the last 50 years the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Trust has improved the wellbeing of the most marginalised and vulnerable members of our community. I would like to congratulate all recipients today and take this opportunity to thank Sport Inclusion Australia for their hard work and dedication to facilitate inclusiveness in all sports across the Brisbane community. It is our pleasure to make a positive difference in the lives of these young athletes,” Quirk, who is also an World Intellectual Impairment Sport Global Games Patron, said.

Inspired by fellow Brisbane resident and world welterweight boxing champion Jeff Horn, the Lord Mayor also provided some encouraging words to athletes: “Follow your dream to be the best that you can be in your sporting endeavours.”

Athletes acknowledged the support of the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Trust and the importance of the grants in helping them meet the costs of training, equipment and competition as they strive to reach their potential.

Grants and scholarships were awarded to athletes across athletics, cricket, indoor cricket, netball, swimming and tennis.

“Sport Inclusion Australia is delighted to have developed the Next Generation Athlete programme with the support of the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Trust. The Next Generation Athlete programme is an innovative way of identifying and supporting young athletes with an intellectual impairment in the Brisbane metropolitan region on their athletic pathway. It will assist aspiring young athletes with the help of state sporting organisations and Queensland school sport to provide an opportunity to compete at local, state, national and international level and if possible the 2019 World Intellectual Impairment Sport Global Games here in Brisbane,” Robyn Smith, Chief Executive of Sport Inclusion Australia, said.

The presentation also provided an opportunity to release the latest Next Generation Athlete promotional video highlighting stories of current scholarship holders. Jack Ireland (swimming), Yasmin Sanders (tennis), Mac Russell (rowing) and Alberto Campbell-Staines (athletics) have all benefitted from the project.

World Intellectual Impairment Sport Global Games Ambassador and Paralympic medallist swimmer Daniel Fox was also in attendance.

The next round will open in December 2017 with grants and scholarships to be awarded in 2018.

Grant recipients
Alex Baker (tennis)
Haydn Brumm (cricket)
Thomas Burrows (athletics)
Harry Cahill (swimming)
Jennifer Collins (netball)
Summer Dullaway (swimming)
Caitlin Kerby (swimming)
Shane Kuilboer (indoor cricket)
Lisa Lenton (netball)
Shaun McKee (indoor cricket)
Patrick O’Brien (swimming)
Ashley-Kate Schlenner (swimming)
Chelsea Stebbing (swimming)
Brett Wilson (cricket)
Aaron Wood (cricket)

Scholarships
Yasmin Sanders (tennis)
Bailey Stewart (swimming)

The 2019 World Intellectual Impairment Sport Global Games will gather more than 1,000 athletes from around the world to compete in nine sports between 9-20 October.

Rain causes draw for England and Australia in cricket Tri-Nations

/in /by
A cricket player celebrates

Credit: ECB

By England and Wales Cricket Board

The second match of the World Intellectual Impairment Sport Tri-Nations between England and Australia was lost to the weather at Grappenhall Cricket Club in Cheshire, Great Britain, on Tuesday (11 July), with just 21 overs possible on a frustrating day.

It was enough time though for England’s Alex Jervis, the 22-year-old seamer from Clumber Park in Nottinghamshire who represents Yorkshire, to follow up his five for 46 against South Africa from Monday (10 July) with a mightily impressive three for 19 from his five overs.

That display helped England restrict Australia to 110-4 from the 21 overs. But Australian captain and opener Gavan Hicks had provided a hint of his talents, making 36 from 43 balls before being sensationally caught by Lee Stenning – the highlight of the play that was possible.

An early lunch was called at 1.35pm, when the third spell of light rain arrived, but that rain became torrential during the interval and play was abandoned at 2.24pm. Both teams took a point.

All matches in the 40-over and T20 tournament are being played at grounds across Cheshire.

Australia move on to Nantwich CC to take on South Africa on Wednesday (12 July), with both sides looking for their first win of the series. England are back in action on Thursday (13 July) when they take on South Africa at Bramhall CC.

Speaking after the match was abandoned, England captain Chris Edwards said: “Weather unfortunately beat us, which is a bit frustrating because we were making good inroads and fighting back well. First 20 overs I thought we bowled well early doors, contained them fairly well.

“It was wet from overnight rain but it was firm and the wicket played true and well.

“A win yesterday [Monday] was very important for us. To not get any result out of today means it will be very interesting going in to Thursday and Friday. Also how tomorrow’s [Wednesday] result pans out as well.

“For us it’s about working hard now on Thursday and Friday and using that energy we could perhaps have used today.

“Australia look very good batting at the top of the order. They got off to a really good start. We had some opportunities that didn’t quite go to hand but we pushed back well against them.”

Edwards was also full of praise for seamer Jervis: “He’s hungry for wickets. He’s got that enthusiasm that rubs off on the rest of the team. That self belief and determination he’s worked so hard for and it’s starting to pay rewards in these first two games.”

Australia skipper Hicks said: “It is frustrating. The first few days we were here were absolutely glorious and now we try to play cricket and it’s a completely different matter. But you can’t control the weather.

“It was very competitive. Good wicket, the ground was quick enough even with the rain on it. It would have been a pretty good match if it had gone ahead.

“It was nice to have a hit and get used to English conditions and the way the pitches are a bit different to home. It was nice to get a few in the middle, unfortunately got out and the weather set in.

“England are very disciplined in the way that they go with their bowling. They set very straight fields and make you make the mistakes. Very good batting order too, especially their top four. It’s always a good battle against them and I’m looking forward to the next match.

“We’ll certainly be wary of Alex Jervis next time we play them.

“We played a practice match against South Africa. They’ve had five guys from a previous tournament so it was good to face them again. You never know what you’re going to get, they’re athletes and it should be a good game tomorrow.”

The 2017 World Intellectual Impairment Sport Tri-Nations features a series of 40-over and T20 games between hosts England, Australia and South Africa. Matches are being played at grounds across Cheshire until 21 July.

Live scoring is available throughout at the England and Wales Cricket Board website.

Tri-Nations to get underway with England v South Africa

/in /by

By England and Wales Cricket Board

It is a long way from Lord’s to Chester Boughton Hall – but Chris Edwards and his team will be representing England with as much pride as Joe Root and co when they face South Africa in the first match of the International Federation for Intellectual Disability Sport (World Intellectual Impairment Sport) Tri-Nations, also involving Australia, on Monday (10 July).

It will be an especially significant occasion for Edwards, a mainstay of a dominant period for England against their rivals, as Chester is so close to his cricketing roots on the Wirral.

“It’s a dream come true to have an international series right on your doorstep,” the 24-year-old told the mini-magazine that has been produced to accompany the series – which itself provides tangible evidence of the growing stature of cricket for athletes with an intellectual impairments, and the England team, with the series also being supported by British bank NatWest.

It is only 12 years since they played for the first time, in a series involving the same three nations in Cape Town, South Africa.

Australia won that series, and the two that followed in 2007 and 2009 – when Edwards made his debut, at the age of 17.

So he was well-established by 2011, when the Tri-Nations returned to South Africa and England were crowned champions for the first time after winning the final in Kimberley.

And two years ago Edwards led from the front in Australia as England won a bilateral series 5-1 – rounding things off with a century in Melbourne.

This time Derek Morgan’s team will have home advantage on a number of leafy Premier League grounds around Cheshire, with the first phase of two weeks of competition involving 40-over matches before the action switches to T20.

After the opener in Chester, England face Australia in Grappenhall near Warrington on Tuesday (11 July), with return matches against South Africa in Bramhall, and the Aussies at Tattenhall, on Thursday and Friday (13-14 July).

They will then hope to be involved in the final in Neston, even nearer to Edwards’ home club ground of Caldy, on Monday 17 July – with the two Australia-South Africa matches in the Tri-Nations being staged at Nantwich on Wednesday, and Oxton on Sunday (16 July).

The T20 competition involves three double-headers, starting at Toft near Knutsford on Tuesday 18 July.

England play both South Africa and Australia the following day, back at Chester Boughton Hall, before the series returns to Oxton and then finally to Nantwich on Wednesday 21 July.

“What an exciting and competitive two weeks of cricket we have in prospect,” said Ian Martin, the England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB’s) Head of Disability Cricket, also expressing his gratitude to those who have helped to stage an Opening Ceremony and cap presentation night on Sunday at the beautiful Cranage Hall.

“ECB would like to thank the Cheshire Cricket Board and the hosting clubs as well as Richard Morrell and his team at Cranage Estate for all their help in making this event a success. We can’t wait to watch some fantastic cricket at the wonderful venues across Cheshire that are hosting the matches.

“We hope that this tournament will be a fantastic advert for our sport. Our aim is to raise the profile of disability cricket for all cricket fans, no matter their background or challenges in life.

England’s team is drawn from all parts of the country. Dan Bowser, a 29-year-old from Devon, made a major impact in Australia two years ago.

Alex Jervis and Robert Hewitt will be the Yorkshire voices in the squad, with Thomas Wilson ensuring Lancashire representation.

Wilson is one of four uncapped players with Dan Thomas of Essex, Jack Perry – who is from Oxton so will be playing on home territory like Edwards – and Matt Browne of Ashtead, one of five Surrey-based players in the squad.

Match schedule

10 July: England v South Africa, Chester Boughton Hall CC (40 over)
11 July: England v Australia, Grappenhall CC (40 over)
12 July: South Africa v Australia, Nantwich CC (40 over)
13 July: South Africa v England, Bramhall CC (40 over)
14 July: Australia v England, Tattenhall CC (40 over)
16 July: South Africa v Australia, Oxton CC (40 over)
17 July: Final, Neston CC (40 over)
18 July: England v Australia and Australia v South Africa, Toft CC (T20)
19 July: South Africa v England and England v Australia, Chester Boughton Hall CC (T20)
20 July: England v South Africa and South Africa v Australia, Oxton CC (T20)
21 July: Final, Nantwich CC (T20)

Assistant coach Dodd ready for cricket Tri-Nations

/in /by

A batsman and a wicket keeper

 

By University of the Sunshine Coast

A student is helping a national team take on the ‘Old Enemy’ after being appointed to the coaching staff of the Australian cricket team for players with an intellectual impairment.

Nathan Dodd, 37, was named assistant coach for the team, which is in the final build-up to the biennial International Federation for Intellectual Disability Sport (World Intellectual Impairment Sport) Cricket Tri Nations against South Africa and England from 9-21 July.

Dodd previously played as an opening batsman for the Kent and Worcester county cricket teams and worked in finance before enrolling at the University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) in Queensland three years ago.

He said he was delighted to have been chosen by Cricket Australia for the international tournament, and was confident his team would perform well:

“Inclusive cricket is something that the major sporting bodies are really starting to get behind, and there’s a real buzz around this tournament. It’s fantastic to be coaching on an international tour while I’m still studying.

“Generally, I don’t coach the players with an intellectual disability any differently to how I would treat any other first-grade cricketer. They just want to be considered as athletes.

“Communication-wise, I tweak things a little bit, but you do that in every team, because everyone learns in different ways.”

Dodd will hone the team’s performance throughout the three-week tournament, which will include four one-day matches, followed by a run of four Twenty20 match-ups.

He aims to use the skills he has gained in his USC degree to build a career in coaching at a national or international level.

“Coaching is a competitive field and I wanted to make sure the knowledge that I could bring to a team would be first-rate,” he said. “That’s why I decided to study sport and exercise science at USC.

“I believe that having that thorough understanding around strength and conditioning, injury recovery, statistics and performance analysis can really set me apart.

“I’ve only got one semester left, and after that I’m hoping to gain a full-time position in the coaching field – potentially in youth or women’s cricket.”

The 2017 World Intellectual Impairment Sport Cricket Tri-Nations will take place at grounds across the county of Cheshire in Great Britain. More information, including the full list of fixtures, is available at World Intellectual Impairment Sport’ website.

Australia announce squad for World Intellectual Impairment Sport Cricket Tri-Nations

/in /by

A batsman and a wicket keeper

By Cricket Australia

Cricket Australia has selected a 14 player squad for the International Federation for Intellectual Disability Sport (World Intellectual Impairment Sport) Tri-Nations to be held from the 9-21 July in Cheshire, Great Britain.  The tournament will bring together the best cricketers with an intellectual disability from Australia, England and South Africa.

The historic tour marks the first time an Australian cricket team for players with any type of impairment has travelled abroad since the country’s Commonwealth Bank and Cricket Australia announced the single largest investment in women’s sport and diversity sports programmes. A key milestone of that investment being that cricket is the first non-Paralympic Australian sport to fully fund its national teams.

As a consequence, players in this squad will not have to pay to represent their country where previously they had to find up to AUD 5,000 each to participate.

Vittoria Shortt, Group Executive of Marketing and Strategy at Commonwealth Bank, said the bank’s partnership with Cricket Australia is particularly focused on strengthening the foundations of cricket for women, Indigenous players, players with impairments, and the local clubs around the country that are the lifeblood of the game.

“Supporting players with disabilities is a focus of our partnership, and we are delighted to be able to play a role in helping the 14 outstanding players that have been selected to represent Australia in the World Intellectual Impairment Sport Tri-Nations series.

“We wish the team all the very best for the tournament and know they will be excellent ambassadors for the country.”

The Australian side depart for Great Britain on 4 July looking to claim back the title it last won in 2009. After bringing home silverware at the first three editions of the event, Australia finished third in 2011 and runner-up in 2015.

At this event Australia will have two opportunities to claim a title with separate 40 over and T20 tournaments being contested between the three nations.

Head coach John Lonergan believes increased professionalism and a targeted approach over the last two years gives his squad every chance of making up significant ground on defending champions England.

“In 2015 the coaching team identified a large gap between the athleticism and fielding ability of England compared to that of the Australian Squad,” said Lonergan. “This has been a specific focus right from the start in identifying the initial training squad of 22 players.”

“At our training camp at the BUPA National Cricket Centre we called out three key focus areas for this tour.  We must enjoy this experience of representing Australia and touring overseas.  Each individual should strive to be the best cricketer they can be and finally, we are an elite cricket team representing Australia, so as with Cricket Australia’s overall philosophy we want to be the No.1 cricket nation in our respective division,” continued Lonergan.

Former Australian Test and ODI cricketer Julien Wiener will also join the support coaching staff on this tour as a player mentor having worked closely with several members of the squad at the National Cricket Inclusion Championships in Geelong.

“I’ve been so impressed with how excited and proud these guys are to represent their country and how this has positively reflected in their preparation and willingness to learn and get better,” said Wiener. “This is a squad with a strong team first ethic who are always looking for ways to support their teammates.”

2017 Australia squad

Gavan Hicks (Captain)
Lachlan MacRae
Mitchell Cutter Rabl
Daynah Hopkins
David Alford
Brett Wilson
Haydn Brumm
Brendan Westlake
David Baird
Nicholas McConnell
Boyd Duffield
Anthony Kalimeris
Luke Goodman
Justin Nilon

John Lonergan – Head Coach
Nathan Dodd – Assistant Coach
Jo Connolly – Team Manager
Julien Wiener – Coach and Player Mentor

Australia will open their campaign on 11 July against England in a 40 over match.

2017 World Intellectual Impairment Sport Cricket Tri-Nations schedule

9 July: opening ceremony, Cranage Hall

10 July: England v South Africa, Chester Boughton Hall CC (40 over)

11 July: England v Australia, Grappenhall CC (40 over)

12 July: South Africa v Australia, Nantwich CC (40 over)

13 July: South Africa v England, Bramhall CC (40 over)

14 July: Australia v England, Tattenhall CC (40 over)

16 July: South Africa v Australia, Oxton CC (40 over)

17 July: Final, Neston CC (40 over)

18 July: England v Australia and Australia v South Africa, Toft CC (T20)

19 July: South Africa v England and England v Australia, Chester Boughton Hall CC (T20)

20 July: England v South Africa and South Africa v Australia, Oxton CC (T20)

21 July: Final, Nantwich CC (T20)

Countries name teams for World Para Athletics Championships

/in /by
An intellectually impaired runner

The USA’s Breanna Clark celebrates winning gold in the women’s 400m T20 at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games (Photo by Atsushi Tomura/Getty Images for Tokyo 2020).

By World Intellectual Impairment Sport

A series of countries have named top athletes with intellectual impairments to their teams for the 2017 World Para Athletics Championships, which get underway in London, Great Britain, on 14 July.

The hosts have selected four athletes to compete in T20 and F20 events on the track and field, choosing a mix of youth and experience amongst their 49-strong team as Para athletics returns to the Olympic Park.

Sabrina Fortune will get to experience the roar of a home crowd as the women’s shot put Rio 2016 Paralympic Games bronze medallist.

Middle distance runners James Hamilton and Stephen Morris will go head-to-head in the men’s 800m and 1,500m. Morris will also go for the podium in the 5,000m.

Martina Barber, 22, makes her World Championships debut in the long jump.

Great Britain’s Para athletics head coach Paula Dunn said: “We have selected a very strong team for the World Para Athletics Championships in London, and I am delighted to see so many medallists from Rio lining up alongside some new faces at the senior level. Having a home World Championship is very special for all the athletes, coaches and team staff, so we are all very honoured to be representing the British team this summer.”

The 2019 International Federation for Intellectual Disability Sport (World Intellectual Impairment Sport) Global Games hosts Australia are sending two field athletes to London.

Defending men’s shot put world champion Todd Hodgetts takes his place alongside long jumper Nicholas Hum.

Amongst the team representing the USA is Breanna Clark. The 22-year-old made a stunning debut at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games by winning gold in the women’s 400m.

Compatriot Michael Brannigan is the men’s 1,500m Paralympic and world title holder. He will also be looking to improve on his silver medal from the 2015 Worlds in Doha, Qatar, in the 5,000m.

Kaitlyn Bounds and Michael Murray complete the US line-up.

Paralympic Games hosts Brazil are looking to build on a solid performance from Rio 2016.

Daniel Tavares will try to defend his men’s 400m world title from Doha as the new Paralympic champion and world record holder.

Long jumper Alain Villamarin will compete at his second World Championships for Argentina.

The 2017 World Para Athletics Championships will be held in the same city as the IAAF World Championships for the first time.

London will host approximately 1,300 athletes contesting 213 medal events across 10 days of competition in all classifications.

Tickets and more information is available at the event website. 

Australia helps spread inclusive sport in China ahead of World Intellectual Impairment Sport Global Games

/in /by

By Sport Inclusion Australia and World Intellectual Impairment Sport

Sport Inclusion Australia, the organisers of the 2019 International Federation for Intellectual Disability Sport (World Intellectual Impairment Sport) Global Games, have been helping to grow inclusive sport in China.

Working closely with the Australia Department of Foreign Affairs through its Asian Sports Partnership (ASP) and the Brisbane City Council, where the 2019 Global Games will be hosted, organisers delivered a week of basketball training in May.

More than twelve months in the making, the project came to fruition when Australian Basketball representative, Kelly Bowen, gave training to young students and teachers at the Yuanping Special School in Shenzhen.

Bowen, who is a member of the Australian 3 v 3 women’s basketball team, will also deliver more sessions in the future.

China has huge untapped potential; none of the athletes who competed at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games had an intellectual impairment and the number who currently participate in World Intellectual Impairment Sport events is low.

Sport Inclusion Australia Chief Executive Officer, Robyn Smith, visited the country in March 2017 to meet with the education hierarchy of the Shenzhen Foreign Affairs Office, key staff at the Yuanping Special School and the Chinese Paralympic Committee.

Smith was stunned by the facilities, numbers of students and willingness of the Chinese authorities to participate in the programme:  “Australian schools and sporting organisations would be amazed at the facilities available here at a special school for over 1,500 students with a disability. There are over 1,000 special schools across China with millions of students with an intellectual disability.”  

Further opportunities for the Global Games, which gathers hundreds of athletes to compete in nine sports, and World Intellectual Impairment Sport have also been discovered.

“It is clear that China is very supportive of students with an intellectual disability, but their participation in the Paralympics and World Intellectual Impairment Sport events has been restricted due to lack of accessible eligibility processes.” Smith said. “If we [World Intellectual Impairment Sport] want to expand into non-English speaking countries we need to be open to change and ensure that the process is open and translated in multiple languages.”  

With the coaching and education programme now underway and in the capable hands of Bowen, Smith will now focus on ensuring that the eligibility process is made available to the Chinese in her role as Vice President of World Intellectual Impairment Sport.  

One of highlights of the ASP project has been Sport Inclusion Australia’s ability to bring together a number of stakeholders to maximise the effectiveness and mutual benefit to all involved.  

The Brisbane City Council, in particular the Lord Mayor’s Office, has played a large role through engaging the Foreign Affairs Office and Mayor of Shenzhen, which ensured the project had credibility.   

Sport Inclusion Australia plans to develop a relationship and inclusive opportunities in China, in particular the city of Shenzhen, a sister city to Brisbane.

The project will work with the Yuanping Special School and the Shenzhen Leopards national basketball club to enhance the skills of the children with an impairment in the sport. It also aims to build the capacity of local coaches and clubs to be fully inclusive and ensure these initiatives are sustainable.   

Once a successful model is developed it will be expanded to include other sports and has the potential to reach 1,000 special schools across China.  

Sport Inclusion Australia will also work with the Chinese Paralympic Committee to discuss the possibility of starting a high performance programme for those more talented athletes, to ensure there is a pathway through to World Intellectual Impairment Sport events and the 2019 Global Games.