Marton's Caleb Arthur man to beat at the national sport stacking champs in Whanganui

Marton's Caleb Arthur will defend his New Zealand sport stacking title at the nationals in Whanganui on Saturday.

Marton's Caleb Arthur is the man to beat when Whanganui hosts back-to-back National Sport Stacking Championships on Saturday, the final sanctioned
tournament for 2018.

Arthur finished second at the 2018 Auckland Regional Sport Stacking Tournament in August, hard on the heels of retaining his national title in June. He has also been named in the 16-strong 2019 New Zealand Black Stacks team for the World Sport Stacking Championships in Spain along with Whanganui's Harry Hawtree. Nathan Hawtree from Whanganui has been named in the New Zealand masters team for the worlds.

Marton's Caleb Arthur will defend his New Zealand sport stacking title at the nationals in Whanganui on Saturday.

Arthur will be heading to Spain on the back of retaining his overall national title with victory at the New Zealand Sport Stacking Open Championships in Wellington in June, and his 3-6-3 timed rally win at this year's world championships in Orlando, Florida.

Sport stacking, also known as cup stacking, is an exciting individual and team sport where participants stack and unstack 12 specially designed plastic cups in pre-determined sequences. The benefits of Sport stacking are many, including hand-eye co-ordination, concentration, dexterity and fitness.

Whanganui is home to a fast-growing, ever evolving, stacking community, and stackers of all ages and abilities will compete.

Entrants range in age from six to 57, and encompass all skills on a level playing field.

Competitors hail from all across New Zealand, and include 11 members of the recently-selected NZ Black Stacks team, so national, Asian, UK and world records are expected to be challenged when competition begins in the Cullinane College gymnasium from 8.45am on Saturday.

Tournament director Ian Kerr said Whanganui had hosted six tournaments, including last year's national championship.