Petanque England sent two teams to contest the Kent Big weekend triples at Gravesend on Saturday 24.8.24.
The boys teams consisted of Alex Read, Matthew Butcher, Nathan Huntley and James Rudden under the watchful eye of PE Junior coach John Edmondson;
and the girls were Aimee Rickman, Tegan Finley and Sasha Davies.
The event attracted a high quality field including most of the current men’s national team and plenty of other top players. The competitors were thankful for Gravesend’s under cover pistes for protection from the constant heavy drizzle all through the morning.
The boy’s managed one win during the morning leagues when James, Nathan and Alex overcame Phil Boarder, Marion and Simon, 13-8. The girls did not manage a win but played some tight games and Tegan Finley was outstanding.
The knock out section after lunch saw the boy’s facing Ashton Monk, Scott Ashby and Drew Roe the opening few ends were nip and tuck but then after one bad end the seniors control and raced o victory. The girls took on the London team of Simon, Keith and co. They put up a good fight but Keith’s shooting made the difference and they advanced to the next round.
The girls then played the boys in a friendly, it would not be gentlemanly to publish the result but both side played well and showed their quality.
The high point for me was the number of competitors who congratulated us on the quality of the juniors, their attitude, their teamwork and their application in each of their games.
Chris Chubb, National Junior Lead
We strongly encourage all juniors who take part in competitions to share their unique experiences with us. Your personal story could be the next one highlighted on our website, inspiring others in the community. To submit your exciting petanque adventures, please send an email to juniors@petanque-england.uk.
For those who are eager to stay informed about junior pétanque activities, we invite you to follow @PEJuniors on Facebook. This platform will keep you updated on all the latest happenings and developments. Additionally, for information regarding upcoming events, please visit the juniors webpage at Juniors (petanque-england.uk).
We look forward to hearing from you and celebrating the accomplishments of our young players! Your contributions and stories are vital in showcasing the talent and dedication of our juniors, and together, we can continue to nurture the future of pétanque.