Eastland seniors to take on Manawatu, Wgtn North

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Teams from Manawatu and Wellington North will be in Gisborne this weekend for the second round of Badminton New Zealand’s North Island senior inter-association Central Division 1 competition.

Badminton Eastland’s senior division team will play Manawatu 2 and Wellington North 4.

Eastland are sitting fifth in the competition, Manawatu 2 are sixth and Wellington North 4 are seventh.

The ties begin at 9.30am tomorrow, and spectators are welcome to attend.

Eastland team members are: Victoria West (manager), Samara McLeod, Alani McLeod, Sarah McCann, Gabe Perano, Justin Kent, Alfred Macmac, Brendon South and Dane Bell from the Gisborne Badminton Club and Hamish Ledger (player-coach) from the Patutahi club.

Injury and sickness have taken their toll on the players available for selection.

Twin sisters and Gisborne Girls’ High School students Samara and Alani McLeod will be representing Eastland for the first time, while Sarah McCann returns, having last represented Eastland in the 2004 under-18 team.

Team members are grateful for the  Sport Gisborne Tairāwhiti cyclone funding initiative that supports travel for their other ties out of the district.