John Leary is new WHA Easts Champion

   John Leary shocked the handminton world this past sunday at Sandminton, defeating WHA President and Easts Champion, Duncan Shadie in a 3 set win.

    After 3 hours in the blistering sun of Tamarama, Leary was just to strong for Shadie outplaying him in almost every facet of the game. Despite Duncan showing his class in game one, pegging back a 10-2 deficit to win, strong serves and an emphasis on strong returns were enough to win on the outdoor court where wind levels meant few rallies were seen in the encounter. 
   The championship win is the culmination of the Clovelly lad's meteoric rise through the Sydney Elite. almost knocking Shadie out in round one of the Inaugaral Easts Champion in November, John did away with Max Cope very easily at December Supercard, Uncanny Xmas to gain the no.1 contenders position. At this point in time it is unclear when or if Duncan Shadie will invoke his rematch clause, as very little has come out of the Edgecliff camp since Sunday. Regardless of who John will face in his first defence of the title, only a silly, silly man would believe that John will be losing the famous "barmat sash" anytime soon...


WHA EASTS CHAMPIONSHIP


DUNCAN SHADIE (EHC)         17     11     6                   
              V
  JOHN LEARY (CG)               15     15     15


   Other matches on the card proved just as exciting. Max Cope and Cain Price battled it out in the first half of their BondiBluerings vs WaverleyCocktails&Dreams team challenge. these two gentlemen have come along in leaps and bounds with either man close to a championship match.
   Cain would post the first win in this local derby, though Max far from embarassed himself getting closer to a win than Duncan could manage in his title match.


TEAM CHALLENGE
BLUERINGS v COCKTAILS&DREAMS


MAX COPE (C'S&D'S)       9     15     13
               V

Left to Right, Ben Spurrier , Cain Price, Jaymee Hejduk in their respective team colours

CAIN PRICE (BB)             15     13     15


   In a rematch of their epic Ashes Anguish match at Uncanny Xmas, Jaymee Hejduk recorded his first win over young backpackin' brit, Ben Spurrier. Initially thought of something of a weakling in the heavyweight world of handminton, Jaymee "La Roux" Hejduk proved his doubters wrong. Ben however has the skills but often seems to lack the mental intensity required to gain victories on the WHA court.
   I doubt we have seen the last battle between these two rivals.


ASHES ANGUISH 2


JAYMEE HEJDUK (GWW)       15     15     X
                V 
BEN SPURRIER (C'S&D'S)      13     10     X

   The second match of the day saw competitve handminton debuts granted to two players. Bolstering the ranks of the East Sydney Elite, Bondi's gorgeous Matt Miler would face the teagardens trivia intellect of Neil in the debutant's ball match at Sandminton. Neil however could not architect a win on the sand, with the dreamboat cleaning him up in two games.


DEBUTANTS BALL


MATT MILLER (BB)     15     15     X
             V

NEIL (CG)                     13     12     X


Nobody thought it would happen, but somehow the planets aligned this last sunday as the filipino machino, the comeback creep, lily pants, Joseph Batol confirmed AND actually attended a handminton supercard. 
   Jo was, prior to Johns victory, the only man in the ESE to have notched a win over Duncan Shadie (it may surprise some to realise that Alex Subtlecock Voitin never beat Duncan and indeed it was Duncan that defeated him to win the Island Idol). Since that victory it has been a rocky road for Batol. at the inaugaral Easts Championship supercard, many were looking forward to a tasty rematch between Shadie and Batol and this was realised in the semi final stage of that tournament. However one of the most controversial decisions in Handminton history put a mark on that match which has not yet been yet been erased. due to time restrictions, the two semifinals were reduced to farcical 7 point affairs, meaning that rather than play to the traditional 15 points in three games it would only be to 7. Before one could sneeze, the anticipated rematch was done. Jo would wallow in misery as Duncan went on to the first ever handminton champion in Australia.

   Fast forward to Uncanny Xmas last month, the cards co main event was reserved for the jilted one, Joseph Batol to face John Leary for the no.1 contenders position and a shot at the title at Sandminton. We all know how that unfolded, hours before the event Batol pulled out with a mystery illness. The WHA were left red-faced to say the least, having upset many people by promoting Batol to the co main event, the WHA now felt jilted themselves with Jo's apparent lack of commitment to the game. 
   Hence Jo played Cain in a fairly minor opening game, he did however record a win over cain who many are now touting as a possible challenger for the title. the question remains though, has the filipino machino just burnt too many bridges at the Authority.


CAIN PRICE (BB)                   15     12     13
           V
JOSEPH BATOL (GWW)        8     15     15


Sandminton was significant for a number of reason:

• the first wholly outdoor supercard in WHA history
• the highest number of matches played in a non-tournament supercard
• the first time a handminton title has ever changed hands
• the first use of the vertical netting system
• the first handminton event to be recorded on www.handminton.com

wise words

In the build up to "Sandminton" tomorrow, i thought it apt to ask WHA World Outdoor Champion, Ben Wright what attributes make up a great handminton player? With particular focus on the outdoor game, Ben sent me this most eloquent reply from his North London home:

                       "Well, a handminton champ requires a stoned transcendence of the usual sporting forms of balance and coordination in ordered to garner the greater reasoning of the skill and form required to excel at the sport's highest levels; light and low on the balls of his feet with firm yet supple hands and wrists for optimum cock handling and court dominance. Loads of spliff, whiskey and rad - yes, rad - intro music helps.

Furthermore, attempt to become one with your court and its natural conditions. Visit the court's terrain in the days before a tournament. Attempt to understand the court ands its needs. What does it require from you? If you can answer these question of the court, it will present you its previous unseen fruits of victory."

Sandminton

"I don't like sand. It's coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere."
                                 -Anakin Skywalker


Sandminton is this sunday at glamourous Tamarama Beach! Midday play gets underway. wind forecast is fair to gentle, ideal for beach handminton.


MAIN EVENT CONFIRMED
Duncan Shadie (EdgecliffH.C)


 will defend his Easts Championship against no.1 Contender


 John Leary (CovellyGropers)




expect confirmation later this afternoon for:
TEAM DOUBLES
BondiBluerings
Cain train Price & Easy E (or Dreamboat Matty Miller)


vs


Ice Cold Courtney Jones & Arrogant Max Cope
WaverleyCocktails&Dreams


Other players expected to appear include Ben Spurrier, who many believe to be the next no.1 contender for the title, Jaymee Hejduk who will sport the brand new Greater Western Wasps colours and perhaps even the elusive Joseph Butole will turn up. Rumours surrounding Amanda Kalache, Jimmy O'Regan, Matthew Blanch persist but have yet to be confirmed. 

THIS IS HANDMINTON

The sport of Handminton is an attempt to establish a new sport from the ground up. Through the wonders of the internet and social networking, we genuinely believe that we can expand this game throughout the world and really make something of our lives.


Independently invented throughout the world (just google handminton) in places as far apart as Canada, New Zealand and Finland. The World Handminton Authority was established in 2006 in the East London district of Shadwell. It was high above in a council flat overlooking the DLR that the basics of the game were formed by the six founders. Five men and one woman formed the Uncle Handminton League (a naming reference to former mayor of Tower Hamlets, Manir Uddin Ahmed) a 6 man, 72 game league complete with playoffs and a final ensued. the people's game had captured the imagination.


Following the successes of the UHL, handminton went through a period of upheaval after the move away from Shadwell, but to everybody's surprise the game went from strength to strength. The North London Elite Circuit was created holding regular "Supercard" events throughout London. These events consisted of a card of the most tantalising matchups the Authority could muster, and produced some of the most memorable moments in the life of this young sport. It was during this time that the first Handminton Championships were played for and won. Toby Short was awarded the World Championship at "Birthday Bonanza", the first Supercard, and Ben Wright was later awarded the WHA Outdoor Championship in fading light, one evening, at the Holloway Handminton Complex.


In 2008 the World Handminton Authority relocated its world headquarters to the eastern suburbs of Sydney, Australia. Leaving a strong organising body in the guise of HandmintonUK in Britain, the game got off to a promising yet slow start in the antipodes. That all changed toward the latter half of 2010 with the introduction of the first new handminton championship in over four years, the Eastern Suburbs Championship. Initially intended as a championship for staff members of Easts Leagues Club, it has since come to represent the best player in Australian Handminton. The 2010-11 season is in full swing on the Sydney Elite Circuit with over 12 players, representing over 6 clubs contributing regularly to competitive play. Three supercards have been played, "The Island Idol Invitational tournament", "The Inaugural Easts Championship" (where the title was first awarded to Duncan Shadie) and "Uncanny Xmas" have taken place monthly since October 2010. On January 23rd 2011, Handminton will grace the golden sands of Tamarama beach for the first ever outdoor supercard, the main event seeing Duncan Shadie defend his title against Clovelly Gropers youngster, John Leary.


Handminton is on the cusp. 2011 is set to be the biggest year since those heady student days back in London. A huge marquee Supercard is planned for later in 2011 as well as an international series held throughout the European summer, coupled with the possible return of weekly midweek 'minton and other new and innovative forms of the game there is no better time to get involved. All this with the most comprehensive coverage yet seen of this sport, A youtube Channel, Facebook page and Podcast will all compliment the hub of handminton.com. Handminton allows the sports obsessed fan a new outlet, rankings, rivalries, jerseys, cup competions, special stipulations, shuttlecock design and amateur competition are just some of the elements that one can obsess over. in time the influence of other sports such as badminton, rugby league, Pro-wrestling, pro-darts and cricket will become more apparent. bear with us as we get the site up and running, in the mean time keep checking the site and above all, Play Handminton.