Fire skipper a champ on and off the court

SUZY Batkovic’s surge up the Most Influential list is not before time.

Last year the Townsville Fire captain came in at No. 42 but judges on the panel this year recognised the contribution of the basketball “Greatest Of All Time” ( GOAT) to the city, listing her in position No. 21.

Ms Batkovic is arguably the most dominant and fearsome player the WNBL as ever seen, and at 37 years of age she is still a force to be reckoned with.

The six- time league MVP and Australian Opals representative is drawing the curtain on her superb WNBL career, having announced her retirement at the end of the current season, and she will leave no stone unturned in her quest for a fourth WNBL championship with the Townsville Fire.

Put simply, if any opposition team wants to lay their hands on the WNBL championship, they have to go through Ms Batkovic.

Everything the two- time Olympic silver medallist does is first class.

Whether it’s competing for a rebound or sinking a clutch free- throw at the death, Ms Batkovic has proven throughout her 22- year WNBL career that she thrives in the big moments. But it’s not just her on- court actions that make Ms Batkovic a standout. She’s an outstanding role model in the community.

The Townsville Bulletin’s 50 Most Influential list is one of the most talked- about features of the year.

Online today the Townsville Bulletin counts down from 30 to 21 the city’s most influential people with the next 10 to be revealed online tomorrow.

The full list will be published in the Weekend Bulletin.