Overseas comp for young duo
Two more Manawatu¯ softballers will get to take on some of the world’s best at an international tournament.
Tatiana Katu, 13, and Maysen Kureneiwikau, 12, are both in the International Softball Academy New Zealand under-14 girls’ team playing at the New South Wales invitation international challenge this week.
Palmerston North’s Ihaia Mulholland and Boston Scoon-walter are in the boys’ team.
Tatiana is in her first year at Freyberg High School and Maysen is at Ross Intermediate School.
The pair fly to Australia today and Tatiana said they would play ‘‘a lot of games’’ during the week. Some of games are late at night, with their first match at 10.30pm.
They will play Japan, as well as Australian state teams.
Tatiana, who plays mainly second base, was looking forward to the tournament.
‘‘It was pretty exciting [to be named],’’ she said. ‘‘Seeing all the players that signed up trying to get into the team. I was a bit worried, but very happy that I got in.’’
Tatiana was in a rep team that went to the United States and Canada last year. She said there were hard games and classy players on last year’s tour and she was expecting the same thing in Australia.
Tatiana has played softball for three years, including at representative level for Manawatu¯ at under-11, 12 and 13 level.
Maysen’s father Josh initially got Tatiana involved when he asked if she would join a team. Tatiana now spends most of her summer weekends in Wellington, where she plays club softball for Central in the under-18 competition on Friday nights and in the under-15 competition on Saturdays.
She plays baseball for Central on Sundays in an under-15 boys’ team.