Westway Sports Centre Hosts England Handball Tournament

The Westway Sports Centre hosted its first adult One Wall Handball competition – the UK Open Singles 2009 – on the 5th & 6th September, giving local people a fantastic opportunity see members of the English national team in action! A total of 31 players – including handballers from England, Wales, Ireland and Belgium, as well as members of English national team – took part in a thrilling competition to find the 2009 UK Men’s and Women’s Singles Champions.

The event was open to all sports enthusiasts who came along to take part, cheer on their favourites and be part of a day filled with energy, excitement and sporting fun! Beginners were treated to special demonstrations from experienced international players who provided invaluable hints and tips throughout the day.

The weekend began on Saturday with separate competitions for men and women, with the men’s split into two categories – Open and Challenger – where contestants vigorously competed with each other.

The first stage in every competition was a group stage, and the top players from each group qualified for a knockout stage. With every match played to a strict 15-minute time limit (the winner being the player with the most points at the end), the action throughout the day was fast and frenetic, with some players literally throwing themselves around the court in a desperate bid to return the ball.

The final of the women’s competition was an all-English affair, and saw Kerry White confirm her position as England’s top player with an emphatic win over Ashley Lumbard.

The Men’s Challenger category saw a real mix of players, as regular handballers took on total beginners. In the end, the final was played out between Irishman Fintan Creamer (runner-up in the equivalent category in this year’s Irish National Championships) and one of England’s top Fives players, Will Ellison, who was trying handball for the first time.

Amazingly, it was the inexperienced Will who took the first game in the best-of-three final, only to see Fintan take a tight second game to send the match into a decider. And, after a tentative start from both players, it was Fintan’s greater experience that eventually proved crucial, taking him through to a well-deserved win.

In the Men’s Open, there was plenty of local success, with no less than five of the eight quarter-finalists coming from England: the country’s top four of Ady Lee, Pete Cohen, Dan Grant and Pete White joined by Andy Pringle.

The draw mean that at least two had to fall at this hurdle, though, and while England captain Ady overwhelmed Andy, Pete Cohen had to play his best to edge out Dan. Also falling at this stage was Pete White, who lost out to Justin Evans from Wales. The last quarter-final, meanwhile, was an all-international affair, and saw Belgium’s Bastien Van Nuffelen knock out Welshman Keith Wilde.

Sadly, hopes of an all-English final were dashed when Justin beat Ady in their semi-final; and, for a while, it looked as if there might be no Englishman at all in the final, as Pete Cohen was 9-11 down to Bastien with just a couple of minutes to play in their semi-final. However, showing true grit and determination, Pete rallied at the crucial time, and managed to close the game out 13-11.

It was this form that he carried through to the final, where his hard hitting and fine athleticism carried him through to a comfortable win over Justin.

Results
(Knockout stages only)
Men’s Open
Quarter-finals: Ady Lee (Eng) bt Andy Pringle (Eng); Justin Evans (Wales) bt Peter White (Eng); Bastien Van Nuffelen (Belgium) bt Keith Wilde (Wales); Peter Cohen (Eng) bt Dan Grant (Eng)
Semi-finals: Evans bt Lee; Cohen bt Van Nuffelen
Winner: Peter Cohen (Eng)
Ladies’ Open Winner: Kerry White (ENG)
Men’s Challenger Winner: Fintan Creamer (IRL)

Saturday’s competition was followed by an altogether more informal doubles tournament on Sunday, which provided players with an amazing opportunity to take part in Eton Fives – a three-wall handball game, which is firmly rooted in English tradition.

There are many different varieties of Handball across the world, including one-wall, three-wall and four-wall courts, but Westway is the only sports centre in London with public Eton Fives Courts. The four three-wall courts have various hazards and ledges, and the resulting tricky bounces of the ball make this a fast game of reaction and skill.

Westway Sports Centre is not only the training centre for the English National Handball team, but also holds weekly Handball sessions. This weekend’s tournament also served as a warm-up for the National Handball Team, who are currently preparing for the World Championships, held this October in the USA.

Westway Sports Centre’s Handball Fives Programme is available for all ages, with sessions designed for both experienced players and beginners keen to ‘have a go’. For classes check out: http://www.westwaysportscentre.org.uk/fives/fives_overview.htm

To read more about the tournament, please download the press coverage appeared on the following papers.