For the past three years, Whangarei's Michelle Batchelor has dominated the Kiwi class at the New Zealand Boccia Nationals.
This weekend's nationals may prove to be a different story however, with another Northland player Scott Burdett hot on her heels, keen to replace his silver medal with a gold one.
"Scott designed
the trophy for the winner but has never actually won the Kiwi class ... he has come runner-up to me the last two years and he's getting pretty annoyed about it and keeps saying, 'this is the year I'm going to beat you'," Batchelor said.
In the months following her win at the Australian Nationals in the open class earlier this year, Batchelor said she hadn't performed as well as she had hoped.
"My health has been all over the place - with a pressure sore on my foot and constant infection - but hopefully this weekend, I can pull finger and do what I have to do."
With players like Burdett and Whangarei's Kimberley McLean and several Auckland players looming in the background, nationals are shaping up to be some contest, she said.
"I know Auckland have been training a lot lately and have upped their game. Numbers have increased down there which is good, as it provides more competition. Nationals will be interesting."
An eight-strong Northland team will compete over two days, starting tomorrow at Papatoetoe's Allan Brewster Centre in Auckland, against the country's best boccia players.
Also competing in the Kiwi class for Northland, is Chris Keay and Kayela Benseman, while in the BC2 is the very talented 14-year-old Alex Dickson.
Dickson is a member of the New Zealand Development Squad, who have also been eyeing up his team mate Andrew Phillips. The 22-year-old will contest the BC3 grade along with Annie Wihongi over the weekend.
Coached by Annette Hawkins and Burdett, the Northland team is brimming with potential and there are high hopes for medals to be won across the grades.
The nationals champs will be followed by the Northland Boccia Championships next Saturday at Whangarei's Kensington Stadium, where players from Wellsford north can compete. This competition is also open to able-bodied players as well.
