Basketballers disappoint Waiouru fans

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 11, Issue 501, 31 August 1993, Page 1

Basketballers disappoint Waiouru fans

Not much was shaking at the Waiouru gym last Friday night when the Coca-Cola Basketball League's Hutt Valley Shakers cancelled their exhibition match for the second week in a row. "It was a terrible disappointment for the children", said Miniball committee members. The match had been planned as a fundraiser for the miniball competition in

Waiouru, which 80 children from the district participate in. Instead the committee has lost money through advertising, referees' costs and numerous telephone calls to Wellington. A special trophy had even been made, donated by the Army Museum, to presenl to the Shakers.. Match organisers had also agreed to pick up the

bill for the exhibition game including fuel costs, accommodation and food for the teams. The match, between the Shakers and a Waiouru Invitation team, was originally postponed from the 21 of August, due, the Shakers said, to management changes which had occurred during the week.. Several excuses were given for the last cancel-

lation including player injuries, players' varsity commitments, and poor player morale. This however was little consolation to the match organisers who expected that 200 people would attend the game, and had been working toward their goal for six weeks. It was to be a precedent in Waiouru to have a national sporting team come to play. After lengthy ne-

gotiation on Friday afternoon new Shakers Coach, Geoff Green, offered to have four of the team travel to Waiouru but this option was ruled out as they would not have be able to play until after 9pm. — A children's coaching clinic was also to have been held at the Waiouru Primary School on Saturday, but that too was cancelled.