Selwyn Times: July 17, 2019

14 Wednesday July 17 2019
Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
OPPORTUNITY:
The Selwyn
United
under-13 side
will travel to
the futsal world
championships
in Florida this
week after
bringing home
the Craig Foster
Cup in July.
Selwyn United under-13s to take
on world’s best at futsal champs
• By Jacob Page
THE SELWYN United Red
and White under-13 futsal
team will head to the world
championships in Florida this
week eager to cause an upset.
The team qualified for the
championships by winning the
Craig Foster Cup tournament
on the Gold Coast in January.
They will face teams from
high-profile clubs, such as
Barcelona as well as LA Galaxy
and DC United from the United
States, in the indoor version of
football.
Matches will be broadcast
globally on ESPN and the
event will be the largest
international youth futsal
tournament in the world.
Head coach Benji Lapslie said
he can’t wait for the boys to get
out on the court in Florida.
“Over the last six months,
many hours of hard work has
been put in by these lads to have
the best opportunity to succeed
on the international stage. From
a coaching point of view, I have
given them the tools to go away
and put New Zealand on the
futsal globe. For the kids, it’s
an opportunity of a life time to
succeed and have the chance to
play teams ranked No 1 in the
world.”
Lapslie, who is a New Zealand
futsal representative himself,
said he wants his team to
embrace the pressure of the
tournament.
“Having played on the
international stage myself, I am
aware how raw emotion can
take control, so keeping them
calm and relaxed will be the
biggest test.”
•From page 1
Henrietta also competed at the
Oceania road championships in
March, where she finished third
in the junior women’s individual
time trial. But she said domestic
racing is likely to be her major
focus this year.
“I’m really focusing my
efforts domestically this year
because I’m too young for the
international opportunities I was
looking at,” she said.
Henrietta is taking on older
riders for the first time in the
South Island Calder Stewart
Racing Series and has proved
more than capable. After three
of six rounds, she is setting the
pace in the under-19 category
and is second overall in the elite
women’s category.
“It’s been a learning experience
for me, racing against women has
definitely been more physically
demanding than what I’m used to
racing at secondary school level.”
The series now takes a break
before returning for round four
in Nelson on September 26.
Henrietta said she will continue
to train hard, clocking up 250km
a week on the bike.
SPORT
SELWYN TIMES
Young Lincoln High
rider performing
beyond her years
ONE TO WATCH: Henrietta
Christie is matching it with
more experienced riders in
the Calder Stewart Racing
Series.
She said she prefers road racing
because no two events are the
same.
“I do the track in summer but
that’s mainly just for fitness.”
•More sport, pages 18-19
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