Barracudas win national bronze
Two teams – Batley Sharks and Batley Barracudas – entered the Under-13 event while a third team competed in the Under-16 age group.
Underwater hockey is played on the bottom of a swimming pool and players, wearing masks, fins and snorkels, push a puck towards goals at each end of the pool.
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Hide AdThe Barracudas team did extremely well to finish third and take bronze while the Sharks team which was made up of less experienced players – some of whom have only been playing since January – was sixth of the seven teams.
Batley Under-16s showed great improvement on last year and finished fifth of the eight teams. They had some fine results and only lost 3-1 to KGS Reivers from the Orkney Islands who finished third.
The players enjoyed the event and they all received a special T-shirt which Beatrix Dixon of Batley designed after she won a competition.
The Batley Sharks squad featured Saskia Dixon (capt), Hamish Dee, Ben Scott, David Grant, Fiona Maynard, Abby O’Brien, Alison Greaves, Harry Tait and Isaac Slough.
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Hide AdThe Batley Under-16 squad was Katie Wise (capt), Oliver Schofield (vice- capt) Daniel Pitchforth, Shellby Stephenson, Beatrix Dixon, James Waite, Alex Rhodes, Eliot Hutchinson and Ivon Haywood.
Batley are hoping to send an Under-16 team to play in a friendly tournament in Pembroke next month. Anyone who is interested in the sport can attend sessions at Batley Sports and Tennis Centre on Sundays at 5.30pm.