worldcup - Hungary Dodgeball

A Hungarian World Champion of Dodgeball – Tamas Ward

The sport already has a world champion with Hungarian roots – as member of the English National Dodgeball team, Tamas Ward will have a good shot at claiming the title of European Champion as well next week.

* Can you give us a bit of a background of your Dodgeball playing career? When did you start playing dodgeball?
– I started playing dodgeball back in 2011 whilst at college and have been playing ever since. First for Reepham Raiders, later for Bedford Bulls and presently for Bedford Rangers.

* What inspired you to start playing dodgeball?
– I enjoyed playing it throughout school and with a lot of my friends playing for Reepham.

* Do you remember your first time on the court?
– Yep! Love the atmosphere even if I spent most of my time in the outbox!

* Your most beautiful moment in your career?
– Winning the World Cup with England back in 2016!

* Best event you played at?
– World Cup in Manchester 2016!

* How many times do you play a week?
– Two or three times a week including tournaments at the weekend.

* Any predictions for England at the European Championship European Dodgeball Federation ? Can England win all three categories like at Euro19?
– We have the strength and depth to go all the way again. So England winning all three of course!

* How do you think the other nations will go at the European Championship? Any nation you’d like to single out for being a favourite for success on this stage?
– Austria are always very strong and focused and will be fierce competitors. Other home nations such as Scotland and Northern Ireland will also pose a threat.

* Which nation is your favorite opponent?
– I always enjoy playing Scotland being such a rival we always have a good game against them.

* Any tips you can lend to hungarian dodgeball players?
– Also playing as much dodgeball as possible throughout.

Thank you Tamas and good luck!

BF

The World Championships had a Hungarian medallist, too!

By way of Krista Leveleky of the Australian team, the World Championships had yet again a participant and medallist of Hungarian ancestry, this time in New York. We’ve had a little chat with her about preparing for the event and her overall experiences.

* First of all, congratulations for your results on the Dodgeball World Cup. As the only Hungarian-related player of the World Cup.
– Thank you, we were of course hoping for the first place but are still very happy with bronze.

* When was the decision made that you can take part on the World Cup with the Australian team?
– Trials for the Australian Dodgeball team (Dodgeroos) started in December 2017 and the final squad was announced in April 2018.

* What was the reaction from your friends and family?
– My friends and family and myself were so excited to hear I had made the team especially since this is my first time representing my country at an international competition.

Krista Leveleky dodgeball world cup — Krista Leveleky (18)

* Was it easy to train together?How the team prepared for the World Cup?
– The Dodgeroos were lucky in a way this year because the entire squad is from the same state of Australia so this meant is was quite easy for us all to train together.
We trained once or twice a week every week leading up to the World Cup. The training included fitness, strategy and skill development.

* What do you think about the level of games on the World Cup?
– I was so excited to play in the World Cup and to play against the top nations in our sport. The level of competition was really tough.

* What do you think about the opponents?
– I was most excited to see how we play against the Austrian team because they were really strong opponents.

* Which was your favourite match?
– My favourite match was against Singapore because that was my international debut and we played extremely well. It’s a match I won’t forget.

* What was the most memorable moment on the World Cup?
– So that’s also my most memorable moment as well as walking out in Madison Square Garden, the worlds most famous sporting arena for our first match against Canada.

* Do you have any message to the Hungarian Dodgeball Team?
– Train hard on and off the Dodgeball court – diet and gym can make a huge difference. Good luck!

(BF/GSK)