Asia Oceania Korfball Championship 2004
Christchurch - New Zealand 6-11 July 2004

Pioneer Leisure Centre - Lyttelton St - Spreydon

News Release - 12 July 2004

Australia strikes Gold in an upset Win to take the 2004 Asian Oceanian Korfball title, 17-14.

An open game which picked up where the previous day's match between the two left off - Chinese Taipei edging ahead, Australia pegging it back and neither getting the upper hand.

The speed of Chinese Taipei was well matched by the calm experience of Australia, which again started with veterans Phil Sibbons and Helen Searle. The decisive stanza was early in the fourth quarter, when Sibbons, Kieran Ryan and Jessica May all fired in magnificent long shots to make the break on the Asian champions. Australia then sustained a lengthy period in attack, depriving Chinese Taipei of a sniff of the ball as Leigh Prior did sterling work under the korf, taking a series of rebounds.

The ever more desperate Chinese Taipei brought on their own veteran, Inglish Huang to try to drag the game back, prompting Prior to switch out of the rebound and the Aussies continued to control the play. The disappointed Chinese Taipei players took the loss of their crown with good grace, while the Aussies were delighted to finish ahead of their foes in an international competition for the first time since 1995..

Final placings:
   Gold - Australia
   Silver - Chinese Taipei
   Bronze - New Zealand