Community
5 April, 2024
Wallball hits the spot
WARRNAMBOOL played host to a range of events over the Easter weekend, including the 2024 Australian 3-Wall Nationals.
The nationals, held at Emmanuel College, attracted some of the country’s best players who were keen to show their skills on the three-wall court within Emmanuel’s ‘Rice Campus.’
For those unfamiliar with the sport, wallball (also known as handball), originated in Ireland and has now spread all over the world.
Wallball is a competitive game in which either hand or fist may be used to hit the ball.
The objective is to win each rally by serving or returning the ball so your opponent is unable to keep the ball in play. The first to 11 points wins.
It is a game played by either two or four players (singles/doubles).
The ball can only bounce once before you hit it and you must hit the front wall and stay within the lines of the court.
According to Australian Handball Council executive director Bob Winter, last weekend’s event showcased how fast and exciting the game is.
“It’s a great sport to get in to and it’s also good to watch,” he said.
“We had 22 entries on the weekend but unfortunately that was reduced to 19 due to injuries.”
Results form the event were as follows:
Open – singles: Ruairi Kelly, doubles: Dylan King and David Sticca.
A Singles (small ball) - James Di Sebastiano; A Doubles (small ball) – Reno Zaffino and James Di Sebastiano.
A Doubles (big ball) – Ryan Muldrew and James Di Sebastiano.
Masters (40s) singles – Damien Winter; doubles – Damien Winter and Simon Fitzgerald.
60s singles – Greg Hay.
O’Connor Cup – Victoria defeated South Australia 4-0.
Australian team: Dylan King (captain), Ruairi Kelly, David Sticca and James Di Sebastiano.
Hall of Fame inductee: Joe Santilli.
