GALLERY: UK Sport Stacking Championships see young Fenland competitors take the silver ware
Forty competitors from around the UK and Europe, including four from Switzerland competed at the annual World Sport Stacking Association's UK Sport Stacking Championships held in March at the weekend.
This annual championship, which was moved from London to Fenland, due to the proximity of the World Sport Stacking Association (UK) team included all individual events, doubles and team relays.
The tournament, held at the Neale-Wade Academy, was won overall by number one ranked, male and female UK stackers, Jamie Franceschini (England) and Laura Beacom (Northern Ireland).
One of the highlights was a new beginners event designed for competitors attending their first WSSA sanctioned tournament. This category was dominated by local club - Fenland Sport Stacks (based in March) who took home all three trophy places with 1st - Matilda Bennett, 2nd - Hayden Parrartt and 3rd - Emilia Jones ).
At the end of day one, competitors gathered at the Oliver Cromwell Hotel for the annual UK Sport Stacking Awards Evening where the WSSA celebrated UK sport stacking achievements over the past 12 months with awards being handed in categories such as Best Newcomer, Best International Stacker and Best Overall UK Stacker.
Jeremy Simmonds, managing director of WSSA UK said: "We hope that the tournament will spur on local stackers to join the Fenland Sport Stacking club, which can be a fast track to Team UK qualification. Team UK currently consists of 20 stackers ageing from seven to 54. Since 2012 Team UK have competed at the Junior Olympics and World Championships in USA, Germany, Canada, Spain and Taiwan as well as the annual CupMania in Switzerland.
Sport Stacking, also known as Speed Stacking or Cup Stacking, is an individual and team sport that involves stacking 9 or 12 specially designed cups in pre-determined sequences as fast as you can. The sport was originally developed in the early 1980s and over the years has spread to 54 countries with 45,000 schools worldwide having a sport stacking programme in PE. Sport Stacking was included as a Junior Olympic Sport four years ago with the World Championships taking place annually.
The WSSA UK currently have three formed clubs in the UK. Locally the Fenland Sport Stackers Club meets monthly at St Wendreda's Church Hall with the next one taking place on March 14.
For more information or to book a place at the Fenland Sport Stackers Club, contact Jeremy at Jeremy@thewssa.co.uk
