Courtesy: Daily Mercury


Young earn much-needed funding

5th August 2010

ONE smacks a ball with a club and the other kicks one and for their talent this duo has scored much-needed funding.

Junior sportstars golfer Lauren Blank, 15, and futsal player Shannon Willett, 16, have been recognised with a 2010 Sports Development Bursary.

Lauren and Shannon will receive $500 in funds towards furthering their chosen sporting careers and a specially embroidered tracksuit jacket, thanks to the North Queensland Sports Foundation, BHP Billiton Cannington Mine and Mackay Regional Council.

Lauren’s achievements for 2010 include taking out the titles of Mackay Golf Club Ladies B Grade and Junior Club Champion as well as the Glenden B Grade Ladies Champion.

She intends to use her bursary to help pay for coaching lessons and travel assistance to attend events held mainly in Southern Queensland.

Shannon is extremely passionate about futsal and has represented Mackay Open Women’s Futsal at a local and state level and is soon to compete at a national level.

The bursary will help with travelling expenses for when she travels to South America to represent Australia in the Youth Girls Team later this year.

Health, Sport and Recreation councillor Paul Steindl said the girls were among 32 young sporting people to be recognised by the North Queensland Sports Foundation this year.

“Mackay is well known for developing sporting stars and sometimes the strain of financial costs can be in impediment to athletes reaching their goals.

“But fortunately there are bursaries such as this one that helps to ensure that there is assistance available for sporting youngsters,” Cr Steindl said.

“Lauren and Shannon are very talented young athletes and council congratulates them on successfully receiving a 2010 Sports Development Bursary and looks forward to seeing them represent and compete in their chosen sports in the future,” he said.

The North Queensland Sport Development Bursaries is now in its seventh year, and has supported 181 young athletes to date.


Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com