Europe's biggest dodgeball event proved to be a huge hit in Chester.
The 2013 Euro Dodgeball Championships were held at the Cheshire County Sports Club for the first time ever at the weekend – and both the England men’s and women’s squads were able to retain their crowns.
Boasting its largest ever participation figures, the competition was met with great support from local spectators as teams from Austria, Romania and Slovenia competed for the title.
Both the England Lions teams came out on top as the men defeated the Scotland Highlanders with the women beating the Wales Dragons.
UK Dodgeball Association director of competitions Nick Pinnock described the event as ‘a huge success’.
He added: “It was a great occasion. Everyone really enjoyed themselves and the games were played with a great spirit and a truly fantastic atmosphere.
“The Cheshire County Sports Club were brilliant in how much they helped and I know the staff were there until 11pm on Friday to put the final preparations on the hall so I have to say a huge thank you to them.We had the awards ceremony afterwards at the club and that really topped everything off.
“We gave a certificate to every player that took part so no matter what position their respective teams finished in the table they had something to take away from the tournament.”
For those who haven’t seen the film Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story , the game is played in a six-a-side format with six balls which are thrown back and forth across the court. If you hit someone with a ball, they are eliminated from the game.
In previous years the tournament has been held in Sweden and in Italy. This year saw a total of 18 teams compete – the biggest to date. From next year, the tournament will be expanded to allow mixed men’s/women’s teams to participate.
For further information on how to get involved in the sport visit the website www.ukdba.org .
