30 SPORT
TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 13 2016
Minister of fun... and sport
GREY MORRIS
SPORTS Ministers in the new
Gunner Labor Government
are no more.
Casuarina MLA Lauren
Moss has sport among her
many responsibilities, but
none of them carry the official
tag of Sports Minister.
Brennan MLA Tony Sievers will act as an assistant minister for sports and community
events under the umbrella of
Athletic endeavours just one of Moss’ many roles
Moss’ ministerial role in
charge of tourism and culture.
A spokesman for Chief
Minister Michael Gunner
played down questions on
whether the new government
was taking sport and its implications on Territory life, seriously.
“Absolutely, the main three
areas under Lauren Moss are
tourism, arts and sports and
that’s where we’ll be putting
our energies,’’ the spokesman
said.
“It’s why we’re bringing
back the Arafura Games and
looking at renewing contracts
involving the AFL, NRL and
the (18-year-old) V8 Supercars.
“In the case of the Arafura
Games, what we’ve done is appoint a special assistant minister in Kate Worden, who is a
former president of Waratah
Netball Club.
“Kate’s sole focus will be
getting the Arafura Games
back and running by 2019,
that’s certainly the plan in her
role as assistant minister.’’
The spokesman said Moss’
portfolios of Arts, Sport, Tourism, Wildlife and Community
Events made her an important
figure in maintaining the Territory’s outdoor lifestyle and
its love of sport at a local and
national level.
“It’s a shorter way of saying
Minister for Fun really, because that’s what Lauren Moss
is,’’ he said.
The Gunner Labor Government is committed to maintaining major events like AFL
and NRL premiership matches
in the Top End.
“We will look at keeping
them as they are or improving
them and obviously the same
will apply with the other
events — V8 Supercars, Finke
Desert Race — and any other
new ones we can bring to the
Territory,’’ the spokesman
said.
McLachlan
huge asset
in decider
JOSH SPASARO
Stan Wawrinka returns to Novak Djokovic in their US Open singles final at Flushing Meadows yesterday
Picture: AFP
Wawrinka wears down Djokovic for crown
HOWARD FENDRICH
STAN Wawrinka is the first to
acknowledge he hasn’t always
been the most consistent player
— or the strongest mentally.
That’s why, when he shows
his mettle during a match, he
likes to point his right index
finger to his temple (pictured).
That signature gesture got a
lot of use in the US Open final
when Wawrinka managed to
wear down Novak Djokovic
and beat the defending cham-
pion 6-7 (1-7), 6-4, 7-5, 6-3 for
his first US Open title and third
grand slam trophy overall.
“He was the better player.
He was tougher mentally,” said
Djokovic, offering two of the
highest compliments a tennis
player can receive from the talented and sturdy Serb ranked
No.1 in the world.
The 31-year-old Wawrinka
is the oldest US Open men’s
champion since Ken Rosewall
was 35 in 1970, and entered the
final having spent almost exactly twice as much time on court
as Djokovic during the course
of the tournament: about 18
hours versus about nine hours.
“I played quite a lot of tennis
these two weeks. I am com-
pletely empty,” said No.3 seed
Wawrinka.
By breaking in the final
game of the second and third
sets, and by saving 14 of 17
break points he faced, Wawrinka already had gained the
upper hand by the time Djokovic clutched at his left leg and
grimaced after missing a forehand while getting broken
early in the fourth.
Djokovic was granted the
unusual chance to have a medical timeout at a time other than
a changeover. Wawrinka complained about the six-minute
break, and Djokovic looked
over and apologised.
Later, Djokovic started
limping and received more
treatment.
Wawrinka has won only five
of his 24 career meetings
against Djokovic, but has now
beaten the 12-time major
champion on the way to each
of his own grand slam titles, including in the 2014 Australian
Open and 2015 French Open.
GARDENS Tennis lost the
last NT Premier League final
to Tennis Alice Springs, but
now they have an X-factor in
Ben McLachlan.
The 26-year-old missed
last season’s final through his
Certificate IV in building and
construction study commitments.
He also missed last weekend’s action while on a fishing
trip, but his teammates were
highly impressive in their
eight-sets-to-two win over
AWOF at Palmerston.
The junior coach is back on
deck for this Sunday’s decider
in Alice Springs, and will bolster his team’s line-up.
McLachlan made the semifinals at this year’s Palmerston
and Katherine Opens.
“We’re pretty confident
going into this Sunday,” he
said.
“Rosie Henderson is only 16
but she’s a young gun.
“I’m looking forward to it —
I’ve never been down to play in
Alice Springs before.”
McLachlan’s strengths are
his forehand and second serve.
Last weekend, Max Tolstoy
(6-7, 7-5, 10-8) over Liam
Franklin, Grace Henderson
(6-2, 6-1) over Sarah McMahon, Tolstoy and Adam Arnold (1-6, 7-6, 10-4) over
Franklin and Kenneth Prete,
Grace and Rosie Henderson
(6-4, 6-1) over McMahon and
Ruth O’Brien, and Arnold and
Rosie Henderson (6-3, 6-3)
over Prete and O’Brien were
winners for Gardens.
Katherine defeated Palmerston, finishing on 17 points, one
ahead of Palmerston.
Kelly makes history as Australia’s first para-triathlon medallist
SCOTT WALSH
Australia's Katie Kelly (L) and
her guide Michellie Jones
celebrate snaring gold in th
women's triathlon (PT5) of the
Rio 2016 Paralympic Games
KATIE Kelly created history as
Australia’s first para-triathlon
medallist, pairing with legendary ironwoman Michellie Jones
to win gold in the sport’s Paralympic Games debut yesterday.
On a day that delivered two
gold medals, including an Aussie one-two in the pool to teen
swimming sensations Maddison Elliott and Lakeisha Patterson, Australia climbed to
seventh on the medal tally with
five golds, 10 silver and 12
bronze.
The country’s hopes of a
top-five leaderboard finish remain alive, narrowly trailing
fifth-placed host nation Brazil
and sixth-ranked Uzbekistan
(six golds).
And against the stunning
backdrop of Copacabana Beach
it was the blazing finish of Kelly
and sighted guide Jones in their
PT5 para-triathlon class who
helped spark Australia’s resurgence after a quiet day
three. “I’m just truly honoured
and chuffed, and to do that
para-triathlon here at Rio is a
really special moment,” said an
elated Kelly, whose Usher syndrome means she has minimal
hearing and tunnel-vision
sight.
“To have my mum and dad
here, you know what parents
are like. They’ve been crying all
week, so imagine what they’re
like now.
“It is just so special to share
it with everyone who has been
along with me on the ride. It really has been Team ‘KK’.”
Jones, who celebrated her
47th birthday two days before
the Rio opening ceremony, said
pairing with Kelly in yesterday’s para-triathlon victory
topped anything else she had
achieved.
“Oh, this is better,” she said.
“This is so much better because
when I think of everything that
KK has been through, to be
able to come here and do
everything she’s done in such a
short amount of time, this is the
best thing I’ve ever done.
“That gold medal is such an
awesome birthday present for
me. But KK is such a legend.
This is legendary status.”
The day was rounded out by
Hunter swimmer Elliott’s
breakthrough medal when she
beat home Queenslander Patterson in the final of the S8
women’s freestyle.
They edged out US legend
Jessica Long with a gold-silver
double.
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