MIDDLEBURGH

MIDDLEBURGH BALL WACKING (Part 1)

You are from Cork and your secret desire is to visit Hong Kong to wack balls using tools and implements other than a golf club .. Your opportunities are legion ....

Your assumed preferences in order are Hurling followed by Field Hockey, Baseball (and variants), then Cricket although the latter may be superseded by any sport using a Racket or equivalent (Tennis , Squash, Badminton, Table Tennis etc ) or even a Mallet (croquet - a tad elitist perhaps).

Organising a Hurling match in HK eg visitors from Names GAA v Home team , might be a challenge although the HK GAA might be up for it or for setting up a guided tour of the Irish Bars in town (you to negotiate who pays!). No doubt this weekend they will be glued to the Sports Channel watching the All Ireland Gala semi finals.

Organising a Hockey match would be a much more practical proposition eg HK Hockey Association boasts 27 local clus (73 teams) and I am sure one of them would be open to play an international against

• Midleton
• University College Cork
• Fermoy
• Bandon
• Ashton
• Cork Harlequins
• Mallow
• Cobh Ladies
• Belvedere

Ironically although baseball is popular elsewhere in Asia (Japan; Korea, Taiwan) it doesn't have same high profile here. Indeed a local film City Without Baseball played on this theme (and the real HK baseball team did a full monty) Nevertheless if your are up for a game you should contact either

• HK Baseball Association
• HK Softball Association
• HK Slow Pitch Soft Ball

And this brings us to Cricket- Most people are ignorant of fact that the Irish Cricket Team beat Pakistan by 3 wickets a 2007 Cricket World Cup Group match.Unfortunately it was totally overshadowed by the fact the Pakistani coach, Bob Woolmer, an Australian was allegedly murdered after the match. Suggestions that the IRA topped Bob because the Pakistanis lost thereby giving Irelnd a high profile win in what might be considered a politically sensitive sport with associations to the British Emprire are entirely without foundation. In Cork alone there are 4 clubs

• Cork County Cricket Club
• Cork Harlequins Cricket Club
• University Cork Cricket Club.
• Midleton Cricket Club
• West Cork Rebels

Hong Kong cricket is no less robust. The HK Cricket Association listsoodles of local clubs including the prestigious HK Cricket Club, many with expat players ( Indian, Pakistani, Brits,Ozzies, South Africans etc ) as well as locals. Over the border the Chinese are on a mission. In 2004 the Chinese Cricket Association announced a strtegic plan leading to total world domination after 2019. By end of this year they intended to have 720 teams across the country. This means that there is a tremendous opportunity to arrange a playing trip to HK and China.

Of course if you don't want to play but just want to visit , watch a match or two, soak up the rays, and imbibe the odd bevvy or three, you should consider coming to the

HK Cricket 6's at the Kowloon Cricket club 31 st October - 1st November 2009. This aspires to be the cricketing verion HK Rugby 7s (more later) and is promoted by the HK Tourist Board which is also promoting the HK Cricket Festival later in December.

NB: If you are interested in Racket Sports you will have to read the next following posts - so sorry;

Hong Kong| Middleburgh| Hurling| Cricket| Hockey| GAA

Posted at 8/13/2009 06:13:00 pm by David Middleburgh   Permalink

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