Hobart Observer AUGUST 2022 25
Sport
L-R: Young Mckeowns Boxing Gym members Max Hogno, Gracie Schofield and Kayla Mckeown, with club founder Zane Mckeown
Small gym, big dreams A LITTLE gym in Hobart’s northern suburbs is punching well above its weight, bringing back a haul of medals from the recent national championships. Mckeowns Boxing Gym was established by Zane Mckeown in 2016 as a safe and non-competitive environment for people looking to enhance their boxing skills. Based at the Glenorchy Showgrounds and run by a group of dedicated volunteers with a strong focus on the local community, the gym strives to maintain an inclusive
culture for members, who range in age from 10 to 50. Mckeowns is registered with Boxing Tasmania and Boxing Australia, and is now making its mark on the national boxing circuit. In May this year, Mckeowns athletes Kayla Mckeown and Chris Lenga and former Mckeowns boxer Clinton Cooper returned from the Australian Club Boxing Championships with two gold medals and a silver - not bad for a small club based in Hobart’s northern suburbs.
“We are extremely proud of the results,” gym co-owner Kristy McKeown said. “The professionalism and spirit of our boxers at national level was inspiring. They are proving to be great ambassadors for our club.” Member for Elwick Josh Willie MLC recently visited the club to learn more about their achievements. “Mckeowns does an amazing job to support the development of those looking to learn boxing skills,” he said. “At a grassroots level, promising young boxers
like Kayla and Chris have been presented with an opportunity they may otherwise have missed and are proving to be a force on the national stage.” This month, Mckeowns athletes will compete alongside other upcoming Tasmanian boxers at a tournament in Launceston. It is then onto Sydney in October and November, where Mckeowns boxers will take part in multipleday competitions, gaining valuable experience and knowledge for future opportunities.
Tymor (centre) with teammates Liam O'Grady, Jordyn Donovan, Henry Budd, Mitchell Rogers, Xavier Clark, Daniel Chivers, Hamish Johnstone and Sam Heffernan, plus Tymor’s mum Larysa and coach Tristan Heffernan
Tymor rebounds
TEN-year-old Tymor really loves basketball – and his new teammates are more than happy to have him on their side. When Tymor fled war-torn Ukraine with his mother Larysa and came to Australia in May on a humanitarian visa, he refused to leave his old ball behind, deflating it and jamming it in his backpack. After the family arrived in Hobart, the Eastern Shore’s Dominoes basketball club worked with the Ukraine Society to place Tymor on a junior
team. With a brand-new ball under his arm, Tymor was thrilled to play his first game at Warrane Stadium recently. “Tym came along to training, and then decided to watch the first game sitting on the bench with everyone,” team coach Tristan Heffernan said. “After that he was pumped. He played his first game the following weekend, and played as much as any of the other boys. He did a good job. “He has fit in really well with the rest of the team.
He has dived straight in and the other boys have been really good, looking to pass him the ball and give him a pat on the back when he gets a shot in. “This roster is nearly finished but he’s keen to play again next season, and hopefully stay with these boys for that roster as well.” The club plans to continue to support Tymor and Larysa, including looking to purchase him some new basketball boots ahead of the spring roster starting in September.
The JackJumpers take on the Brisbane Bullets at the new MyState Bank Arena
Jacks back for season two
THE Tasmania JackJumpers will tip-off their first home game of the new NBL season on 3 October, in what’s expected to be the first of many sold-out matches at Hobart’s MyState Bank Arena. The JackJumpers will begin their second NBL season on the road against the South East Melbourne Phoenix, before returning home
to host the Cairns Taipans on the first Monday of the school holidays. “We’re really pleased to tip off the season at the start of the school holidays and bring our fans together for the start of another exciting year,” CEO Simon Brookhouse said. “It has been a short off-season, but we see that as a blessing to
keep building on our momentum from the NBL22 Finals. The guys are having a good break and are really excited to get back to playing in front of the best fans in the league.” The JackJumpers have also secured blockbuster Hobart home games on Boxing Day (vs the New Zealand Breakers) and New Year’s Day (vs the Phoenix).
They will also play two matches at Launceston’s Silverdome, with northern fans looking forward to games on 18 November and 18 January. A limited number of new JackJumpers memberships will go on sale at 10am on Monday 15 August. “We anticipate that we will have to cap memberships this season
and new memberships will sell out fairly quickly,” Mr Brookhouse said. “The reality of having a relatively smaller arena is that we can only have so many fans in there each game, and we need to continue growing our membership base while also giving as many people the opportunity to see the team play live as possible.”
JackJumpers games at MyState Bank Arena Monday 3 October vs Cairns Taipans Sunday 9 October vs Brisbane Bullets Saturday 22 October vs Perth Wildcats Saturday 5 November vs Brisbane Bullets Saturday 17 December vs Cairns Taipans Thursday 22 December vs Illawarra Hawks Monday 26 December vs NZ Breakers Sunday 1 January vs SE Melbourne Saturday 7 January vs Melbourne United Thursday 12 January vs Adelaide 36ers Friday 27 January vs Sydney Kings Sunday 29 January vs Perth Wildcats
