Tickets on sale for FINA World Youth Water Polo Championships

Tickets for the 2012 FINA World Youth Water Polo Championships to be held in Perth from December 1-9, are now on sale. 

Challenge Stadium in Perth will host the event with more than 500 athletes from 25 different nations expected to compete. 

Teams will come from five regions - Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania, with 20 men's teams and 16 women's teams entered. Sixteen games will be played each day with medal matches to be decided on Sunday, December 9. Tickets can be purchased via Ticketmaster.

(Source: Talking Tourism – Issue 243)

On Course for a Thrilling International Championship

Approximately $3.5million has been spent rebuilding the course since the international Johnnie Walker Classic was held at Lake Karrinyup back in 2003.  Holes have been both lengthened and shortened and every green and bunker has been rebuilt to enhance Lake Karrinyup’s world-class reputation.

Course architect and former European Tour player Mike Clayton said the quintessentially Australian golf course had its own character and would provide new challenges to players when they arrive in Perth for Australia’s richest golf event – the Perth International (18 to 21 October).

“Lake Karrinyup is a course that asks players interesting and quite obvious questions.  The answering of those questions is what makes it an enduringly interesting course to play,” Clayton said.

“The course’s character is distinguished by expansive fairways and holes that require the player to execute a wide variety of tee shots. Those with the skill to shape the ball to fit the hole, to fly it through the ever-present seaside winds and who hit to the best part of the wide fairways on their approach to the flag will earn the rewards and shoot the lowest scores.”

Course superintendent Trevor Strachan agreed the new layout would challenge the most seasoned pros in the new US$2million tournament.

“The course is now more open and the bunkering is closer to the greens. We now have a course that requires a different type of golf to be played,” Strachan said.

“The surface of the greens is harder and faster and there are more subtle undulations which I think will make it tricky for players returning to the course or experiencing it for the first time.

“Spectators will have a better experience with the new layout as well.  It’s easier to get around the course and there are some great new vantage points.

“You can see eight holes within a 500 metre walk and around the lake will be a terrific place to see a range of holes including the back of the 8th to the 11th and even the 3rd hole.  Plus there will be grandstands set up on the 12th and 17th,” Strachan said.

Strachan will lead a team of 18 grounds keeping staff plus a team of volunteers in the busy lead up to the springtime championship.

“We’ve got to get through winter and then get the grass into place for spring, turfing out the weak areas and getting presentation right.

“Coming out of winter there’s less growing time, so it’s going to be busy.”

Lake Karrinyup is widely acknowledged as Western Australia’s premier private golf club and is ranked the state’s number one course by Australian Golf Digest.  The course rebuild has ensured it will provide a world-class experience for the European Tour and Australasian Tour players when they land in Perth in October.

Tickets for the Perth International will be available from July.  For more information visit www.perthinternational.com,

Like the Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/PerthInternationalGolf or follow on Twitter @PerthIntl.

'Arrogant' NZ Breakers Fire Up Perth Wildcats

The perceived arrogance of reigning champions New Zealand will serve as a major motivating factor for the Perth Wildcats today in the opening game of the best-of-three NBL grand final series at Vector Arena.

'Arrogant' Breakers fire up Wildcats

The Wildcats were incensed by the Breakers' exuberant celebrations in the immediate aftermath of their last meeting in round 22 at Challenge Stadium, and coach Rob Beveridge has used video footage of the incident to fire up his players this week.

New Zealand's home-and-away wins over Perth in last season's semifinal series, which included a sensational 38-point haul from former Breakers star Kirk Penney in game two, also left a sour taste in the Wildcats' mouths.

"We've showed vision of them celebrating on our court and how cocky they are at times," Beveridge said.

"That there is a driving force for us. I just think it was a little bit arrogant the way they carried on after the games.

"I think you've got to be gracious in defeat and humble when you win.

"That's how I was brought up and they definitely didn't show that."

Wildcats co-captain Shawn Red-hage said his team was the underdog against a New Zealand side that has won 23 of 31 games this season.

The Breakers finished on top of the ladder for the second consecutive year and bounced back from a shock series-opening loss to Townsville to win their semifinal tie in three games.

Redhage admitted the round-22 clash, in which New Zealand beat Perth 101-99 in overtime, remained fresh in the memory.

"They were the top team all year and beat us on our home court," Redhage said.

"They celebrated nicely, so we'll remember that, and we're ready to go back over there (to Auckland).

"It's a tough place to play, they've got a great team, they know their roles and they're going to be ready for us.

"Any time someone comes to Perth and gets a win, those teams are usually pretty excited because it doesn't happen too often.
"Hopefully, we can exact revenge and get a win over there."

Talented New Zealand swingman Tom Abercrombie faces a final fitness test today after injuring his left ankle during the win over Townsville.

Breakers forward Gary Wilkinson is delighted that his side has the opportunity to defend last year's championship against the Wildcats.

"It's going to be a battle and I love playing against them," Wilkinson said.
"They come out hard every night and it's just a good feeling when we win because you know you've worked hard for it."

Tickets for game two of the grand final series at Challenge Stadium tomorrow week are available through Ticketmaster.

Australia’s best baseballers to take on the world - Perth tourism News

Perth has secured the rights to host the Australian Baseball League’s (ABL) first All-Star game on Wednesday, December 21 at Barbagallo Ballpark.

Tourism Minister Kim Hames said the ABL All-Star Game would feature Australia’s national baseball team taking on international players from the US, Japan, Korea, India, Italy and Taiwan currently playing in the ABL.

“The event, secured exclusively for Western Australia, will showcase our extraordinary State to millions of viewers across the world via Fox Sports and the Major League Baseball (MLB) Network,” Dr Hames said.

“The MLB Network alone broadcasts to about 53 million households across the US, and being seen on this is a great outcome for the State.”

The Minister said the unique event was the result of a collaboration between the ABL; Baseball WA; the Perth Heat; and the State Government, through Eventscorp.

“A number of major Australian and international league baseball players are expected to participate in the event, including Perth native and current Minnesota Twins major leaguer Luke Hughes,” he said.

Other big names expected to play on the Australian team include Los Angeles Dodger Shane Lindsay and other former and current major league players such as Justin Huber and Chris Oxspring.

“The international team will comprise Taiwanese legend Chin-Lung Hu, former Korean star Dae-Sung Koo, ‘Million Dollar Arm’ winner Rinku Singh and several players from other major US leagues,” Dr Hames said.

Fact File

• For more information on the event visit http://www.perthheat.com.au
• The game will be held on Wednesday, December 21 at Barbagallo Ballpark in Thornlie
• Gates open at 2pm

Portfolio: Tourism

• Perth secures unique international baseball game thanks to Eventscorp funding
• Australian team to take on squad of international players
• Event to be televised worldwide