The 2022-2023 SA State Singles Championship was held at the Novar GardensPetanque Club on 19 February 2023:
- Open Singles Champion: Alexi Alexi
- Women’s Singles Champion: Haejung Jang
This year’s State Singles Championships were held in dry and sunny conditions. It was hot
in the sun, but the air temperature was quite comfortable in the shade. Nineteen players
competed in the Women’s Championship – an all-time record and nearly double last year’s
attendance. The Open competition also attracted a good turnout of thirty players.
The Women’s field contained half a dozen players entering this event for the first time –
some more experienced than others. Haejung Jang, an established player with experience
at the international level, was one of these and she showed her class and all-round skills by
going undefeated throughout the day to take the title. Runner-up was Jean May, who
earned her place in the final by defeating two previous winners, including the reigning
champion, in the knockout rounds. This was Jean’s first appearance in the final of a state
championship.
The Open competition also featured a great deal of high quality petanque and in some
cases reputations counted for little when it came to the crunch. Nevertheless, it boiled
down to a final between two players with very good reputations, both of whom had gone
undefeated through the seven previous rounds. It was a tight contest and the standard was
worthy of the occasion. The reigning champion, Van Nguyen, fought valiantly but this year
the honours went to Alexi Alexi.
This is not Alexi’s first SAPL Singles crown. He also won the title in 2007, which was just the
second year this competition was conducted. That is some time between drinks, but in the
interim he has always been knocking at the door. A collection of four runners-up trophies is
testament to that. As for Van, this was his third State Singles appearance and he has made
it to the final on each occasion.
Congratulations to those named above and to all the other divisional winners. An
honourable mention is also due to Selina Dally, a holder of many titles including two SAPL
Women’s Singles. Making it to the semi-final on this occasion is the best result on record for
a female player in the Open competition.
Thanks to the Novar Gardens club for doing their usual excellent job of hosting the event
and to Brett Williams and Terry Hall for taking on the umpiring duties.
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