Junior Taekwondo Exponents On World Mission

Newcastle Herald

Friday June 11, 2004

LAST year Aberdeen taekwondo instructor Frans Christensen thought one of his students had the potential to qualify for the World Junior Championships.

But with four weeks to go before the championships get underway in Italy, the 34-year-old is busily training and fundraising for four aspiring students from his 20-member strong Il-Shin Academy.

David Murnane, 16, Jay Farrell, 13, and siblings Paigen, 15, and Jace Hayden, 13, will travel to Italy on July 1 for the competition, which is held every two years and brings together the world's best 13 to 17-year-old taekwondo exponents.

``I approached one of them [Murnane] about trying to make it," Christensen said. ``I told him the world championships were coming up and I knew he had the potential to make it.

``I was a little bit surprised that the others qualified as well, but to their credit they lifted their game and showed the commitment needed."

The foursome qualified for the 12-member team through efforts at two tournaments held at Bankstown.

The first, a national-level competition held in November last year, was a trial for a preliminary Australian squad. The second was the General Choi Cup in March where the final squad for the world titles was chosen.

North Queensland Cowboys hooker Leigh McWilliams paid an embarrassing price for his last-minute brain snap in their 14-12 win against St George Illawarra last Friday night.

The Singleton product was the weekly winner of an award on Fox Sports show NRL Scoreboard called ``Off goes the head and on goes a pumpkin". The award goes to the player who comes up with the silliest play from each round.

McWilliams put up a midfield bomb from dummy-half with only seconds left on the clock. Thankfully the Cowboys held their two-point advantage.

The good news for McWilliams was that he retained his place for tonight's match against Newcastle at Dairy Farmers Stadium and that he is not alone up north.

He is the third North Queensland Cowboy to get the dreaded pumpkin award this season.

© 2004 Newcastle Herald

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