GEMMA AND SALMA SPREAD THEIR WINGS

Gemma (left) and Salma publicise their second Futsal marathon earlier this year

 

 

TWO prolific fund-raisers will be spreading their wings in the new year when they stage an exciting new sporting event.

Salma Bi and Gemma Smith have organised a World Dodgeball 2013 tournament to be held at the Birmingham Futsal Arena on Saturday, January 19.

Multi award-winning cricketer Salma is also head of MAD (Making A Difference) Productions, while Arena technical manager and futsal co-ordinator Gemma fronts Sporting Pathways.

Both organisations aim to maximise sporting opportunities for people in the Birmingham area and beyond, as well as raise vital funds for deserving causes.

In the past, Salma and Gemma have hosted 10 and 20-hour record-setting non-stop Futsal marathons, plus a T10 Indoor Cricket World Cup event, raising thousands of pounds in the process for charities such as the National Autistic Society.

Their latest event, the World Dodgeball tournament, will raise much-needed funds for North Wales based Ty Gobaith/Hope House Children's Hospice.

The Conwy Valley hospice provides specialist nursing care and support to life-limited children, young people and young adults. Its support extends to the whole family – from diagnosis, throughout the lifetime of the child and beyond.

Ty Gobaith, which has a sister hospice in Oswestry, has to raise over £4 million every year to maintain its services and receives just one month’s funding from statutory bodies.

Therefore it is heavily reliant on the support of the public.

Salma and Gemma have decided to raise money for Hope House because their publicity officer and close friend, Dave Jones, is based in North Wales.

Dave, a sports editor for three weekly newspapers and sports writer for the Daily Post, was asked if he had any ideas for a suitable cause to benefit from MAD and Sporting Pathways' latest fund raising event.

He did not hesitate to nominate Hope House, whose North Wales base is in the same offices as the Daily Post.

So what is Dodgeball?

Dodgeball is basically any of a variety of games in which players try to hit other players on the opposing team with their own balls while avoiding being hit themselves.

In the United States, the game is typically played among children aged six to 12 in elementary school.

However, internationally, the sport has also emerged as a popular middle school, high school and college sport. It is also popular in informal settings and is often played on a playground, in a gym, or in organised recreational leagues.

There are many variations of the game, but generally the main objective of each team is to eliminate all members of the opposing team by hitting them with thrown balls, catching a ball thrown by a member of the opposing team, or forcing them to move outside the court boundaries when a ball is thrown at them.

It is the sport where YOU are the target and on January 19 the delights of Dodgeball will be introduced to the Birmingham Futsal Arena. The event will be staged between 2 and 7pm.

The theme will be World Continents.

Six teams of six players each will play one another twice, leading to a semi-final and final.

Afterwards there will be presentations to include trophies, medals and certificates.

Entry fee is £10 and players will be placed into teams unless a group bring their own team.

Refreshments, event T-shirts and various prizes will be provided.

Teams competing will be:

Arctic Whales

American Coyotes

European Mammoths

African Meerkats

Asian Cobras

Australian Kangaroos

Deadline for entries is December 20 so get in touch soon!

Contact Gemma at the Futsal Arena on 07789 557931.