BRITAIN’S best dodgeball players are coming to Chester this weekend to compete in an international tournament.
Teams from England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland and Northern Ireland will do battle on the court in the 2013 Dodgeball Home Nations.
The tournament is being held at Cheshire County Sports Club on Sunday and will also feature guest teams from France and Iran.
Dodgeball is a hugely popular sport in the United States and is becoming increasingly popular in the UK.
Players on two teams try to throw large balls at each other while avoiding being hit themselves.
Tom Hickson, director of strategy for the UK Dodgeball Association, believes Chester can become a key location for the sport as the popularity continues to grow.
He said: “We are looking forward to the Home Nations and it should be a fantastic occasion for dodgeball.
“We will be having France join us as a guest nation for the tournament which should really spice things up and add to the occasion.
“We are encouraging as many people as possible to come and check out what is going on.
“We think Chester is the perfect place to promote dodgeball and the area has seen some of the highest participation if the sport in the UK.
“It really should be a fantastic event.”
Defending champions England Lions will be out to retain the title they won in 2012 the build up to the European Championships later in the year.
The tournament begins at 10am and admission is £2 for adults and is free for under 18s.
Tom said: “On the back of the Home Nations tournament we are launching the first ever Chester Dodgeball Club and we want people to get involved in these exciting times for the sport.
“The sport has traditionally seen as being only popular in the US. This isn’t the case, it is growing fast and we are hoping the UK can be at the forefront of that.”
The first Chester Dodgeball Club session takes place on Monday from 7pm to 8pm in the gym at Upton High School.
The session costs £2 and is open to adults and children from Year 7 or above.
For more details go to the UK Dodgeball Association website at www.ukdba.org