A contingent of 10 players from Australia plus Trent Fraser (Grants Brother) currently residing in New York ventured to the World Handball Championships in Portland USA. The players and visitors from Australia were Mick Kiley, ‘Spike’ Walker, Bob Winter Greg and Lyn Hay, Grant and Leanne Fraser, Dom Morabito, Ryan and Jim Muldrew, Vic DiLuzio, Joe Santilli and Simon Fitzgerald.

Portland’s Handball Community together with the USHA were fantastic hosts and provided a great event and venue, together with all the trimmings of great food, social events and friendship.

On the playing side, although no players reached World Championship status the following was achieved:

Joe Santilli     -   Runner up in over 50 Singles One Wall Hard Ball

Bob Winter    -   Runner up in over 60 Singles One Wall Big Ball

Grant Fraser   -   Runner up in ‘C’ Doubles One Wall Big Ball 

Mick Kiley and Bob Winter   -   Runner up in over 40/50/60 Doubles One Wall Big Ball

In the Federation Cup , the Australian Team qualified through to the A draw in defeating Japan and Ecuador but lost to the USA which then relegated the Team to the 2^nd Division Competition. In the 2^nd Division a win over the Netherlands placed Australia in a semi final game against Mexico. Unfortunately, with the Australian team now starting to feel the effects of a long campaign of still playing World Championship games as well as the Fed Cup games on the same day we were no match for Mexicans who won in straight games.

In the build up to the World Championships, it had been previously arranged that the 2^nd One Wall Handball Ashes Tournament between Australia and England would be played involving both singles and doubles which amounted to 14 games. The Country with the most wins (count back on points if required) would win the Ashes. Australia won the inaugural event in Italy. However, England was looking for revenge lifted their form to defeat Australia 10- 4. They have improved tremendously and had all their best players on the court   for this event - for Australia to win back the Ashes we need to match them with the best players from Australia matched against them and I am sure we will be competitive and reverse the 10-4 score line.

There was discussion in Portland that an English Handball Team could possibly do a tour of Australia (Adel. /Melb. /Syd.) in the year 2011.

On the Administrative side of Handball – Bob Winter, Greg Hay, Simon Fitzgerald and with guest Vic Di Luzio attended the World Handball Council General Meeting which was held while the Championships were being played in Portland. It was a real buzz to the system to be sitting at a table with Handball representatives from 12 other countries discussing Handball in the current scene and

what direction it needed go in the future. The emphasis seem was directed to one wall handball without hindering other forms of the game but with the Olympics as a goal a unified One Wall form of the game would be the best way forward.

It was great to see that the Australia handball scene was highly regarded by the members of the Council. Further, the activities of the representatives of other countries in their building and progression of the game was very interesting with ideas that we could utilized, especially in the promotion of Juniors.