48 NAVY NEWS, MAY 2009
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Squadrons
of the Fleet
Air Arm –
souvenir
poster
Mighty in
● Mayell service... Mid Simon Mayell
prepares to deliver an ace during the
training tour to Cyprus
Picture: Lt Richard Moss
Aphrodite
FIVE days of glorious
(Sports)men of valour
sunshine and balmy
spring temperatures in the
Dust in time
Aphrodite Hills resort near
Paphos in Cyprus put paid
– Taurus
to the winter blues for the
RN tennis B team squad.
The trip was a warm
force heads TO GOLD at Beijing
weather training camp
in preparation for the
to the Saudi
now add a ceremonial
Inter-Service Tennis
dirk and the title of Championships, forming
desert
Sports Personality of the
part of a structured season
Year to rower Lt Peter
of coaching and fi xtures to
develop tennis at all levels
Reed’s growing list of
within the RN.
accomplishments – for There were some tired,
the second time.
aching bodies throughout
Three years after lifting the
the week, proving that this
coveted title, the junior officer – a
was more than just a bit
member of the triumphant coxless
of R&R. With a punishing
fours at last year’s Olympiad –
four to six hours a day on
was honoured again at the 2008
court all players showed
Combined Services Sports
signifi cant improvement,
Awards.
thanks mainly to coaching
Two of the four titles up for
by the team’s new fi nd,
grabs at the RAF Club in London
the inspirational Cpl Greg
were taken by Senior Servicemen.
Andrews RM – also an
“I didn’t even realise that you
excellent player.
could win the award a second
Cpl Andrews’ method
time, as I looked down the list
was popular and effective,
of previous winners before the
and was pitched at exactly
presentation and there weren’t any
the right level for the mix of
repeats in the nominations, so I sat
ability and appetite amongst
down and relaxed and waited for
the team.
someone else’s name to be read
“Cyprus was the perfect
out,” said Lt Reed.
location for this training
Top of the
“But mine was called out and I
camp,” said B Team
was surprised and proud and now
manager Cdr Nigel Bowen.
grit parade
I have a matching set of daggers.”
“Both hard and clay
The engineer is now in training
courts were available,
to hold on to his gold when the
which together with reliable
– BRNC
● Services’ sportsman of the year Lt Peter Reed, boxer Lt Lucy O’Connor – runner-up in the sportswoman
games come to the UK in three
of the year contest – and boxing stalwart Lt Cdr Micky Norford, offi cial of the year Picture: Allan House
weather and excellent
years’ time.
facilities, enabled us to train
shows its
“It looks like there are a lot of
hard. We are now in good
sportsmen going to the London
on the European circuit is widely put a huge amount of effort into hoped that Lucy will represent GB
shape to retain our men’s
mettle
Olympics from the Services and
acknowledged. In 2007 he the sports that they do. at those Games.
Inter-Services title.”
that’s something that the Services
gained his world class referee’s “I’m so proud. Pleased as The winners of the Combined
A match against a
should be very proud of and I’m
qualifi cation placing him in the punch.” Services Team of the Year Award
combined Army/RAF team
glad to be, at the moment, heading
highest category in the country The RN’s nominee for were the CS Rugby League Team
from Episkopi seemed
that up,” he added.
and qualifying him to offi ciate Combined Services Sportswoman
– winners of the inaugural Defence
Plus
to confi rm this with a
The sports offi cial award was
worldwide at any level of amateur of the Year was Lt Lucy O’Connor
Forces World Cup.
comprehensive win for the
presented by the Earl of Wessex
boxing up to, and including, – you’ll know her better by her
The RN was strongly represented
Navy.
to Lt Cdr Micky Norford for his
Olympic Games, and he has his maiden name of Lucy Abel.
in the team with WOPT Wayne
Amongst the squad was
Round-up of
experience as a boxing referee
sights fi rmly set on refereeing at Having taken the ABA and
Okell as coach, CPO Perry Mason
Capt Chris Usborne who
and for his major contribution to
London 2012. European Union boxing titles in
as tour secretary, and the following
has been either Chairman
Fly Navy 100
Navy boxing as both a Combined
“I was absolutely fl abbergasted 2008 and having come fi fth at the
players: LS(WA) Kevin Botwood,
or on the Committee of the
Services Champions and later as a
to start off with; I didn’t expect it World Championships, Lucy was a
ET(ME) Alex Scruton, LPT James
Royal Navy Lawn Tennis
main infl uence in the RN Boxing
at all,” said Lt Cdr Norwood. fantastic contender for the award,
Barnes, Cpl Lee Rossiter, POWEA
celebrations
Association (RNLTA) for the
Association.
“It’s really superb to be awarded but she found herself up against a
Dane Smallbone, Sgt Jamie Goss,
last 16 years, and has been
Last year, Lt Cdr Norford
this. You try and work it out, world champion weightlifter from
AET Lewis Taylor, AB David Gee,
instrumental in the major
refereed in eight international you think ‘OK, Peter Reed’s an the RAF and so had to settle for
Logs(SC) Silivenusi Buinimasi.
drive to bring more people
matches and European Olympian so he’s bound to get runner-up.
To mark an exceptional
to Navy tennis. Chris is soon
Championship Tournaments; Sportsman of the Year’ but I didn’t With the strong possibility that
achievement, the Combined
due to leave the Service,
his reputation as one of the most know anything about the other two women’s boxing will be an Olympic
Services Sports Board presented
Continued on page 47marina
astute and professional offi cials nominees but they’ve obviously sport at the 2012 Olympics, it is marina
Continued on page 47
Published by Navy News, HMS Nelson, Portsmouth and printed by St Ives (Andover) plc.
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