Competitive netball returns to Gomea

Competitive netball has returned to a refurbished Gomea Methodist School hard court, with the Ashburton Sports and Cultural Organization (ASCO) festival.

Sixteen teams will vie for honours in the netball festival, which finally got started last Saturday, after several postponements.

However, Saturday’s opening was not without its disappointment, as expressed by ASCO’s founder and long-standing president Dennisford Foster.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Foster was blunt. “I am a bit disappointed with the showing today of teams, because this tournament should have started since the 30th of September and we would have extended the registration deadline on several occasions and today this is what we have,” Foster lamented.

At last Saturday’s opening, only seven teams were represented.

 Hitting hard at his own ASCO set-up, Foster noted: “Personally, I would have bought T-shirts for eight netball teams and I am only seeing two of them”.

Despite his concerns, Foster projected that the 2017 edition would be a fruitful one.

He was especially excited with the new look court, and stated, “It is the first time that we are playing on a painted surface”.  

Foster commended area representative Ces Mc Kie for ensuring that the court was re-done, as the unfit surface was the cause for no competition in 2016.

Another of Mc Kie’s tangible inputs in the 2017 festival was his sourcing of uniforms for the five schools that will contest the primary schools’ category.

At last Saturday’s opening, Mc Kie also handed over five netballs to cover the playing of this year’s festival.

Island Blends Success Radio Netters copped both the Best Banner and Best Dressed Team on show. The Gomea Methodist School was second in the Best Dressed category.