Kelly tackles American football world titles
CAIRNS’ Mel Kelly is in Canada with the first Australian Outback National Women’s gridiron team.
The team is preparing for the IFAF World Championships, playing games against US, UK, Canada, Mexico and Finland. Kelly plays as a wide receiver.
Kelly attended the Australian team open trials on the Sunshine Coast last year and was invited back in February of this year and was selected in the 52-person squad.
Cairns Gridiron Association is holding a fundraiser for Kelly from 11am on Sunday at the Red Beret, which will air the tournament-opening game. ■ TAIPANS Mitch McCarron and Nnanna Egwu were sent packing at the semi-final stage of the NZ NBL over the weekend.
Their opponents, the Sharks, arguably had one of their finest games of the season, executing on both ends of the court, thrashing the Supercity Rangers 106-67.
McCarron scored a teamhigh 14 points, but the only other notable scorer was Earnest Ross Jr with 10.
Egwu grabbed seven rebounds and dropped in nine points in the loss.
McCarron was also named in the competition’s All-Star Five with Shea Ili, Corey Webster, Marcel Jones and Tai Wesley. ■ CYCLING team Lotto Soudal is confident Cairns rider Adam Hansen’s Tour de France participation is not in jeopardy despite being forced to pull out of the Ster ZLM Tour in the Netherlands.
The 36-year-old crashed in Stage 14 of the Giro d’Italia last month and bruised a bone in his right hand, but is still in pain almost four weeks later.
Further scans showed no fracture and the team has ordered Hansen to rest and only return to training after the injury is immobilised.
The diagnosis will be a sigh of relief for Hansen, who will be out to extend his current record of 17 consecutive Grand Tour finishes at the Tour de France next month.