117075cs

48 Thursday March 16 2017
Latest Christchurch news at www. .kiwi
The Star
Sport
International flavour lifts Coastal Spirit
• By Gordon Findlater
IT’S HOPED international
flavour can help Coastal Spirit
make a title bid in the Mainland
Premier League, which kicks off
this weekend.
Coastal’s new English pairing
of Jordan Ball and Sam Orritt
have both grown
up with their
eyes on a professional
contract
in England. They
recently arrived
in Christchurch
Ekow
Quainoo
looking to further
their game
on the opposite
side of the globe.
Coastal will meet Universities
on Saturday at English Park.
Ball, 23, has had a taste of the
dream having previously played
for Doncaster Rovers in League
One – England’s third tier competition.
The striker was a part of
the youth set up at Nottingham
Forrest before joining Doncaster,
where he went on to earn a oneyear
professional contract in
2012.
He has since played for a
number of non-league clubs in
England and most recently had a
stint playing in Sweden.
NEWBIES: Luis Augusto Ebrahim, Andre Luiz Pestana, Sam Orritt and Jordan Ball will have their
first chance to stamp their authority on the Mainland Premier League with Coastal on Saturday. ​
Orritt, 24, began as a junior
at Rotherham United and had
a short spell at Lincoln United
before playing college football
for Limestone College in South
Carolina, United States. The
midfielder and winger then
signed for professional side
Cowdenbeath FC in the Scottish
League One competition in 2015.
“Not only are they quality
players, but they add to the
professional environment we
are trying to create here,” said
Coastal Spirit coach Ekow
Quainoo.
Coastal’s two new English aces
will be joined by the Brazilian
pairing of winger Luis Augusto
Ebrahim and midfielder Andre
Luiz Pestana.
The South American duo
aren’t new to Christchurch. They
were part of the Canterbury
United futsal team which won
last year’s Futsal National League
title.
Quainoo believes the addition
of their Brazilian flair will suit
both parties.
“The way that we’re looking to
play games really suits them and
they’ve been really attracted to
our coaching process. They’re really
looking forward to showing
what they can do in the Mainland
Premier League,” he said.
Since gaining promotion to the
premier division in 2011, Coastal
have slowly been improving
and last year recorded their best
finish since gaining promotion,
finishing third behind Cashmere
Technical and Nelson Suburbs.
Cashmere will be going for a
fifth straight title this season, as
they look to continue the dominance
they have held since 2013.
However, Quainoo can see this
year’s title race being far more
open.
Ferrymead Bays look to be one
of the teams to beat after recruiting
veteran midfielder Stu Kelly,
as well as promising young
Canterbury United players
Sebastian Schacht and Nikolai
Molijn.
Nelson Suburbs is also likely
to be strong with a spill over of
players from the Tasman United
national league team expected to
feature for the club.
Round one fixtures
Friday: Nomads United v
Ferrmyead Bays – 7pm,
English Park.
Saturday: Cashmere
Technical v Nelson Suburbs
– noon, English Park.
FC Twenty 11 v Western –
2:45pm, Avonhead Park.
Coastal Spirit v Universities
– 2:45pm, English Park.
Country’s top surf life saving athletes converge on New Brighton
• By Gordon Findlater
THE COUNTRY’S premier
women’s triathlete Andrea
Hewitt will return to her
roots today, competing at
the New Zealand Surf Life
Saving Championships in New
Brighton.
Earlier this month Hewitt, 34,
was on top of the world stage
when she won the opening
round of the World Triathlon
Series in Abu Dhabi.
She will now return to the
same stretch of beach she
regularly competes on, as one of
more than 1200 surf life saving
athletes taking on four intense
days of racing.
Hewitt will compete in a number
of events in today’s masters
category and will also team
up with her sister Tina Cox to
compete in the board rescue for
South Brighton.
Hewitt is a previous Surf
Life Saving New Zealand team
member and has accumulated
a number of national titles over
the years, including a dominant
display when the national championships
where held at New
Brighton in 2004.
There she won the Ironman
and run-swim-run titles, and
also teamed up with her sister to
win the board rescue.
This year’s championships get
under way today with the masters
events (age 30-plus) before
three days of open events.
The event was supposed to be
held in Christchurch in 2011 to
celebrate 100 years of surf life
saving, but due to the February
earthquake three weeks prior it
was relocated.
Surf Life Saving New Zealand
sport manager Mike Lord says
it’s fantastic to be coming back
to Christchurch for the 11th
time and supporting the New
Brighton club in hosting such a
major event.
At the conclusion of the national
champs on Sunday,
Surf Life Saving New Zealand
will announce its high performance
squads for the 2018 Life
Saving World Championship
campaign.
TRIATHLETE: Andrea Hewitt
represented New Zealand in
the women’s triathlon at Rio
de Janeiro, finishing seventh.
PHOTO: QUINN ROONEY
the
Entry fee: $60
Includes a bottle of
water and first drink **
at Prize Giving
sunday 26 th march 2017
GOLF TOURNAMENT
Check-in 8:30am
Shotgun start at 10am
in four balls
$30 green fees
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from 21 st to 25 th
open
Terrace Downs’ major tournament accommodating 100+ players
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18-hole Stableford Tournament open to all,
men and ladies * with an official 18 hole NZGA Handicap
Spot Prizes also awarded on the day for Best gross, Longest Drive and Closest to the Pin
*
Ladies’ division subject to minimum number of entries ** First drink includes tap beer, or soft drink
Entries close
22 nd March
Book today!
SUN 19 MAR
at ENGLISH PARK
V
4.35pm v WELLINGTON
Pro Shop - 03 318 6943 | Email - golf@terracedowns.co.nz