Sportex 2 shapes up

Scenes from Sportex 1 - the Jubilee Shield was contested at Olympic Stadium Hockey centre. The final saw Albatross Sharks defeat RAAF in a stroke shoot out 3 to 2.

Photo: ABPH Helen Frank

By Graham Davis

More than 1000 RAN athletes from Sydney are expected to take part in Sportex 2 scheduled for the first week of October.

To follow Sportex 1, held earlier this year, the sporting program is aimed at maintaining and enhancing the fitness of RAN personnel.

Good fitness levels have a high priority amongst the ADF.

The presence of several ships alongside Fleet Base East during the program is expected to boost participation numbers.

Large crowds of family members and friends are expected to cheer on the sportsmen and women at most locations.

Sportex 2 will be conducted from Tuesday October 5 until Friday October 8.

It will follow the “long weekend” holiday break and the Fleet Base East “open day” on Sunday, October 3.

Sportex comes under the auspices of HMAS Kuttabul and its commanding officer CMDR Brian Eagles and the Navy Indoor Sports Centre and its OIC WO Michael Winter.

LSPT Corinne Williams is the program coordinator Unlike Sportex 1, rugby union football will not be part of the program.

Instead it will be replaced on this occasion by the 2004 Patron Cup Rugby League Tournament.

The round-robin event will be staged on Tuesday, October 5 at one of the homes of rugby league, Leichhardt Oval.

More than 200 civilian onlookers are expected to join players and RAN supporters for the tournament. LCDR Sion Griffiths is the contact.

While the rugby league is under way the 2004 Oberon Basketball Tournament will be decided at Hurstville City Council’s new multi million dollar sports and aquatic centre at the corner of Forest and King Georges Roads, Hurstville.

A large spectator crowd is expected.

A third major RAN sporting event will be held on the same day at the NISC at Garden Island. Here, the 2004 EAA Squash Tournament will be conducted Wednesday October 6 will see touch footballers in action for the 2004 Adelaide Cup Touch Football Tournament.

It will be played out on Queens Park, cnr York Road and Baronga Av, Waverley and is a touch knockout competition.

Thursday October 7 will see the action switch to the sands of Manly Beach where the 2004 Beach Volleyball Tournament will be staged.

This too is a knockout tournament with Manly Council assisting with arrangements.

On Friday exponents of the “round ball”, soccer, will be in action in Centennial Park, with Darley Road, Randwick as the access point.

Here the 2004 Albatross/Nirimba Soccer Tournament will be decided in a knockout.

On Friday, October 8, the 2004 EAA Softball Challenge will be staged at the Sutherland Shire Softball Association’s complex in Captain Cook Park, Captain Cook Drive, Woolooware.

The Sutherland Shire Softball Association is helping with the arrangements.

• Any ships, establishments or individuals seeking to enter any of the activities should contact LSPT Williams on
  (02) 9359 2406.

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