Press Release – January 2011
A Whole New Ball Game!
New Garden Route Sport makes waves at International Sports Business Awards.
If ever there was justification for use of the expression “a whole new ball game” then this
is it. When Knysna based sporting events company Magnetic South submitted their
concept for adjudication at an international Sports Business Awards, the ISPO Brand New
Awards in Germany, they were not prepared for the level interest the concept attracted.
Just a day after submission the team now has its hands full fielding enquiries about the
game from all over the world. 360 Ball, as the name of the game alludes to, is a racquet and
ball game played in a circular court and was developed right here in the Garden Route.
Although the game in a circle has its origins as a back yard contest between brothers Mark
and John Collins who used to bounce a ball of a circular wooden disc, it is today hardly
recognisable from its original format. Although a version of the game does come designed
for backyard recreation or play on the beach, it is at the top end of the game, in the
specially constructed “Pro Court,” the real competitive sparks fly. Behind the high spec
poly carbon walls, sporting action that rivals tennis, squash or volleyball in every aspect
takes place. This fast paced game produces rallies that are as exciting to watch and as
they are participate in and the players are hooked.
Playing 360 Ball involves striking the ball off a centrally placed concave disc and it differs
markedly from other ball games firstly, in that players of the same team may pass the ball
to each other between strikes, and secondly and perhaps more revolutionary, in that there
are no set sides to the court. Play rotates 360 degrees around the central disc. Although
the rules are slightly more involved than this, it is, like most new inventions, essentially a
very simple concept and many observers are left wondering why it has taken mankind so to
invent this game.
The agency responsible for managing the Brand new awards on behalf of the ISPO was not
however surprised by the interest Africa’s only submission attracted, noting that it was
the first time that a whole new sport had been considered for these awards. The ISPO,
hosted in Munich, is the world biggest sports business fair and takes place in February
each year. The ISPO Brand New Awards, as the name suggest, feature the latest cutting
edge sporting concepts in equipment and apparel. An international panel of sports experts
adjudicates the submissions and will decide on this year’s winners at the end of November.
To view a video submitted with the 360 Ball presentation and the 300 concepts bidding for
recognition go too
ball on the left side of the screen, otherwise go to the link underneath that will take you
straight to 360 Ball). To show your support for this South African invention click LIKE
http://www.ispo-brandnew.com (click on hottest brands, and look for 360
No comments:
Post a Comment