Australian para cue sports goes global
with Matt “ Duck Man ” Austin
Many people have had a crack at pool down the local pub or maybe got a pool table and cue as a young kid at Christmas , it truly is a sport for anyone of any level of ability . Cue sports include 8 ball , 9 ball 10 ball , billiards , snooker , pool and heyball . Heyball is played on 9-foot tables with rounded pockets . Heyball is a brand name for Chinese 8 ball pool .
Walter Lindrum from WA was the best billiards player in the world back in the day . Billiards is played on a full-size table . Neil Robertson , an Australian Champion in snooker is currently ranked world number 20 . Neil won the world championship in 2010 and has won a title every year through until 2024 . He is also the first player in the world to get a century of centuries in snooker .
Mark Harper is the manager of the Australian Para Cue Sports team , who learned how to play pool and snooker when he was young and then played up in Macksville . His involvement as manager of the team started last September . I was after a meeting at
Mark Harper in the Australian Cue sports jacket .
Central Coast Leagues club meeting with Stuart Rogers , the Chairman of Australian Pool Players Association ( APPA ) World Pool Association Member , Ishaun Singh the South African President of World Pool Association and another Australian player Barry Jenner on the board of World Confederation of Billiard Sports ( WCBS ) who sponsored the team with a company called T140 Cue Sports .
Mark took his mate Neville with him to the meeting , Neville is a Heyball Parasports competitor . Neville was invited to play in LA to represent Australia . Mark and Neville have been mates for over 20 years and its difficult travelling in a wheelchair to international events , it was a steep learning curve for Mark taking over as manager of the team .
Mark met Dave Pearson in Las Vegas who set the world record for clearing 16 pool tables in the world ’ s fastest time , he has been around some amazing players throughout his life . Mark took an Australian Heyball team to Los Angeles in December in the inaugural world championship , the event was called the 2024 WPA Heyball Parasport
World Championship .
This is the first worldwide event for Para cue sports . Mark took 9 Para-athletes with him and is hoping to change the shape of para cue sports and get it into the 2032 Olympics in Brisbane . Mark likes that the team he has put together will be the pioneers for Para cue sports in the Olympics and future international events .
Cue Sports are not seen as standard mainstream sports and one that people put a lot more time into once they become good . Heyball is a very attacking sport where they play to win and is a higher level of sports which keeps everything at the same level and in line with international rules . Sides from Australia , England , India , Europe , China and NZ helped kick off the inaugural event . One of the competitors has 70,000 YouTube followers and one of his friends in Pakistan sent over some training equipment and gear to help everyone compete on the world stage .
There has been a lot of support for the international event . There were 128 male and 128 female competitors in each category which is wheelchair and
Australian Para Cue players in action . Credit : APPA .
standing . There is big money in Heyball sports with $ 80,000USD the total prize pool . The winners in wheel chair men ’ s and women ’ s and standing men ’ s and women ’ s all picked up $ 10,000USD for the event .
A lot of the players in the Australian team are new to Heyball and will work the game out on the run . The results were irrelevant to the team as the main focus was to represent Australia in the Aussie way that shows our fighting characteristics and give our best
Mark encouraged everyone to be focused on the overall team performance and to build a good culture , and that ’ s the best you can do .
Windsor Bowling Club 2024 / 25 District Club Champions
with Matt “ Duck Man ” Austin
Windsor Bowling and Sports Club pulled off a major feat in 2024 . The proud little club provides the opportunity to Hawkesbury locals , particularly in Windsor , to have a roll and have pulled off a remarkable result .
They not only won the Nepean Highlanders Bowls 2024 / 25 Women ’ s Pennant Division 1 competition but also went one better in the same week and picked up the Men ’ s Pennant Division 3 competition as well .
It ’ s a remarkable result for the club
Windsor Bowling Club Men ’ s Pennants champions 2024-25 .
who are far from the biggest in the district competing against the likes of Penrith Bowling Club , Glenbrook , Bowral , Wallacia , Campbelltown and Richmond . It ’ s a tough competition and the dedicated players who turn up every week rightfully deserved their rewards against much bigger clubs and tough opposition . Paul Johnson , club coach said the result is outstanding for a club which comprises approximately 60 male and 30 female full playing members .
They also have 60 social members who range from locals to members of the local Hawkesbury Valley rugby club who treat the bowls club as their second home through the football season . They frequently indulge in the hospitality and enjoy a quiet beer or five - the Friday night scene is improving with a bistro providing good for and meal options to members and Friday night bowlers coming in to play .
The ladies ’ team who picked up the win for the club was Lead Dianne Paull , Second Kaye Quinton , Third Kaye Neich and Skip Anne Gosden . The other lead was Catherine Jupp , Second Cecily Foster , Third Kay Leonard and Skip was Christine Norkaitis . This is a really talented group who are off to Figtree to represent the club at the State Pennant Championships , a huge achievement . The men ’ s team are headed up to Kempsey in March after they picked up their championship with a solid win over Penrith 76 to 45 . This team has seen an influx of some younger players over the last few years , which will help the club to continue growing their membership .
Membership for 2025 is affordable ; the cost set at $ 120 for full playing members , $ 50 for members who are playing but don ’ t wish to play pennants or participate in championships and $ 10 for yearly casual membership . That is an absolute bargain to play competition sport for an adult , and the best bit is that membership is for a full calendar year .
They are actively trying to expand membership ; playing members within have happy hour on Friday nights from
Windsor Bowling Club Women ’ s Pennants champions 2024-25 .
5pm with $ 5 schooners and the bistro opens at 5.30pm . There are plenty of menu options and Specials ’ Board meals are $ 20 .
At 6.30pm on Friday nights anyone can head on down and have a roll to see if they like it . It is a good opportunity to engage with bowlers and the bowling club community . The club has been drawing good numbers of late , particularly with the success of the men ’ s and women ’ s teams in their respective Pennants competitions this season .
Hopefully , the club will continue to see even more growth and success as they head into the 2025 season and beyond .
THE HAWKESBURY INDEPENDENT theindependentmagazine . com . au HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEAR ! ISSUE 177 // FEBRUARY 2025 29