Indigenous Twenty20 carnival aims to build representative side

BALLINA Bears will host the annual Indigenous Cricket Challenge on Australia Day, aiming to uncover new talent and build an Aboriginal representative team for the Far North Coast.

The Twenty20 carnival has been played in its current format since 2022 and will be held across Fripp Oval and Saunders Oval on Monday, January 26.

Teams from Ballina, Cabbage Tree Island and Lismore will again take part, with Grafton joining the competition for the first time.

Event organiser Stewart Kapeen has competed in the past four tournaments and is an emerging player.

The 19-year-old said the challenge was about showcasing local talent and growing the game.

“I’ve played cricket right across the state and the talent is out there,” he said.

“This is a chance to showcase the best of what we have locally in hopes of growing the game.

“The goal is to take the top Indigenous cricketers from the Far North Coast to play against other regions.”

The Ballina Bears Cricket Club originally developed the carnival to honour its past and present Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players.

Dave Kapeen has been a driving force in promoting the game locally and bringing the Australia Day event back as an annual fixture.

His nephew Cody helped get it off the ground after a hiatus, with help from Geoff Jacobs and Phil Melville at the Bears.

“Geoff Jacobs is the backbone of the club, and my uncle Dave has been pushing this along for years,” Stewart Kapeen said.

“My cousin Cody took it on a few years ago and I was always keen to help once I got a bit older.

“A lot of work goes into it, but it’s coming together well.”

Kapeen said the event was open to everyone and focused on community connection.

“You don’t have to be Aboriginal to play – it’s about coming together as a community and enjoying a day out at the cricket,” he said.

The day will begin at 8.30am with a flag-raising and smoking ceremony, with the final to be played at Fripp Oval.