Ouch! Oz loses game, Batkovic; Sterling digs Beijing at Summer Olympian

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Ouch! Oz loses game, Batkovic; Sterling digs Beijing

Posted April 23, 2008 at 03:40 AM by Os Davis

Section: Beijing 2008, Events, Basketball, Featured Writers, Os Davis

Australia national womens team

Sure, the Good Luck Beijing 2008 tournament are just a bunch of exhibition games in which Australia is using maybe half the complement of its peak squad ... but you know they still want to win this thing.

Unfortunately, such an outcome became a heck of lot more unlikely in day 3 of the six-team tourney. As though the Opals’ shock and disappointment in bowing to Cuba, 60-52, weren’t enough, it got worse. In the third, Suzy “Batgirl” Batkovic went down with a dislocated thumb and was soon followed to the locker room by Erin Phillips and her twisted ankle.

Twenty-nine turnovers doomed Team Australia to its second loss of the tournament, while Batkovic’ absence from the remainder of the competition would seem to put Oz out of the running in this one.

Phillips will return today for the FIBA 2006 Women’s World Champions in game four, but without either queen from the Opals/Seattle Storm’s joint-patented twin tower attack of Batkovic and Lauren Jackson, a total adjust in game plan is warranted.

No word yet on how long Batkovic will be off the court, but surely in Australia they’re praying to the Mount Olympians for the speedy return of their lassie.

•••••

From the Public Relations Department comes a story entitled “Stirling says Beijing venues rock” at the Opals’ official site. Within, head coach Jan Stirling is reportedly “more than impressed by the Wukesong Culture and Sports Centre” in which Good Luck Beijing is and Olympic basketball will be played.

“It’s sensational,” opined Sterling, going on with, “Certainly from a staffing point of view, I think China has all bases covered, and all athletes are going to enjoy being involved in the Olympic Games at any of the venues from what we’ve seen.”

And in what should be the China Tourist Board motto for the Games, Sterling proclaimed, “They have left no stone unturned, as you would expect.”

“Beijing venues rock” is accompanied with some swell photos of the Olympic city, of which writer Bill Baxter notes, “Images sent home for use on the Basketball Australia website even show blue skies and roads with no traffic.