Monday Sports Report

Welcome back to the wild (and yes I do mean 'wild') world of sport - Mountaingirl style.

The annual British and World Marbles Championship are held on Good Friday of each year - so yes the excitement of the 2008 tournament is well and truly building. This year, sixteen teams from England, Scotland, Germany and Holland competed in 5 stages to be crowned this years world Champs. Marbles have been played on this location for hundreds of years, some say since 1588 when two local lads played for the hand of a young lady. Prizes are awarded for best team, Individual champions, best lady player, and one award to a player who has never won anything.

The World Pooh-Sticks Championship Race is just the sort of race that Mountaingirl could see herself developing a love for and risking competency! Pooh Stick racing might sound kind of dirty, but it's not. Pooh Stick racing actually consists of finding a stick, dropping it in to a river, and then seeing how long it takes to get to the finish line. That's it. That's all they do. It's inspired and named after Winnie the Pooh, as he and Christopher Robin used to play the same game. The next Annual Championship is on March 30 2008 ... I personally will start counting sleeps :-)

Korfball is one of those sports that is rumored to be dominated by New Zealand but as I am not familiar with the game I feel comfortable posting it here without adding to the over-the-ditch-rivalry. Korfball promotes itself as the world’s
only mixed team sport. Since its earliest development, korfball teams have consisted equally of male and female players. Korfball is a ball sport played by hand. It takes a few moments to learn, but a lifetime to perfect. By passing and quick movement players must elude their personal opponents to shoot the ball through a korf – the Dutch word for basket. In the standard game, teams consist of eight players – four male and four female. The korf is set in from the end of the playing area, enabling shots from 360 degrees. Players assume either attack or defence roles. After two goals, defenders and attackers switch – placing emphasis on the development of all-round skills: each player should be able to defend, attack, shoot and support his or her team-mates. A player ‘defended’ by a personal opponent is not permitted to shoot, meaning quick shots, based on specific technique, are most effective. Korfball is based on co-operation between players – dribbling and running with the ball are classed as ‘solo play’ and are outlawed. Although contact between players does occur in korfball, that contact is controlled – players may not gain advantage from contacting their opponents. Got that :-/

Obviously all of this came from one of their brochures ... give me PoohSticks any day :-)