Korfball?
Well, It’s kinda like basketball,
and Oregon is national champ
By STEVE JETT
Of Ih* Emerald
Nico Broekhuysen isn’t a
household name around cam
pus and neither is the sport he
invented more than 80 years
ago in Holland.
Korfball.
Now, believe it or not, Oregon
has become the national korf
ball champion. The University
squad defeated the University of
New Mexico 17-5 last Saturday
in the final of the five-team dou
ble-elimination national tour
nament in Albuquerque, N.M.
The obvious question is
‘‘What is korfball and how did
Oregon become national
champ?”
"It isn’t very known and it
doesn’t have the glamour of
other sports,” says Bob Baker,
University physical education
instructor and coach of the
Duck korfball team. "I guess the
game you can compare it to is
basketball.”
Though korfball resembles
the purely American hoop sport,
it also has a few interesting
twists. Each team consists of
eight players, four from each
sex. No dribbling is allowed, the
baskets have no backboards
and are 12 feet high. Shots can
only be made if the player is
unguarded, and guarding a
player of the opposite sex is not
allowed.
Each team is split into offen
sive and defensive squads of
two men and two women. Each
time two points are scored in the
game, the squads switch from
offense to defense and vice
versa.
How Oregon became
involved in korfball is another
story.
Baker began teaching the
korfball class fall term, and
thanks to the support of Phy
sical Education Prof. Jan Broe
koff — President of the Amer
ican Korfball Federation —
Baker received an invitation to
send a team to New Mexico for a
national tournament.
From the trip, Baker simply
hoped the Ducks could get
some exposure to national
competition. He wasn't count
ing on first place.
"It was really exciting," he
says. "I felt we would play well
and would have a shot at
second. But once we went down
and started playing, I thought
we had a chance to win it. One
of the things that happened on
our trip was that our guys were
about even with the other
team's guys but our girls were
far better than the other team’s
girls.
"Overall, the girls had an
edge and I think that made the
difference in the tournament.”
Despite all this, korfball still
remains a mystery on the
Oregon campus. Two years
ago, a korfball class only at
tracted 15 students. Last term,
the class wasn't much bigger
with 18.
Wrestlers host Cougars
Oregon's eighth-ranked
wrestling team hosts the
Washington State Cougars in
McArthur Court Sunday at 2
p.m.
The Ducks just finished a six
meet road trip through Califor
nia, in which they lost only one
meet, to Cal-State Bakersfield
Wednesday night. The loss
leaves Oregon with a 9-1 mark.
Top performers for the
Cougars are 118-pounder Brian
Higa, John Bliss (167) and Dan
Morrow (190). Higa has a 13-2
record this year. Bliss, brother
of former Oregon wrestler Scott
Bliss, has a 12-2 record, and
Morrow has 11 wins without a
defeat.
The Cougars are 2-3 in dual
meet competition.
-emu
Food Service
TODAY
EMU
Food
Service
BEER
GARDEN
4-7 p.m.
16 oz. glass 75°
pitchers $2.25
Free Entertainment
Attack & the Fun
EMU Dining Room
& Courtyard S
Oregon Daily Emerald
‘‘Part of the problem is that
there is no competition around
the University,” says Baker.
‘‘Somebody mentioned that
there is a team in Portland so
we’re going to check into it. But
when we would teil people we
were going down to New Mexico
to play korfball, most would ask
What is korfball?’ ”
Korfball has been growing
throughout Europe, especially
Belgium, England, Germany
and Spain. According to Baker,
matches in Holland attract
crowds of over 5,000.
"A crowd of 500 to 1,000
would be pretty good here,”
says Baker.
B. J. KELLY’S
BACK-TO-ROCK-N-ROLL
featuring
CELEBRATE
9:30-close $2.00 cover
1933 Franklin Blvd
484-4333
Special Events
Nights
Lounge Open
11:30 am -1:30 am
Hors D’oeuvres
Available
Teachers’ Night
SUNDAY
Happy Hour
All Evening
Wars wl
MONDAY
gUt
Happy Hour All Evening
Happy Hours
3:30 pm-6:30 pm
Daily
Draft Beer 59c
Wine 89c
kadies
TUESDAY
2-For-1 Well Drinks
All Evening to Ladies
Happy Hours
Double Well Drinks
99c
99c Monthly Specials
Not Included
© of 0iltgl)f
WEDNESDAY
Happy Hour All Evening
With Student or Faculty Card
Urfcan Cowkov Nioht
THURSDAY 1 ®
— Wear Hats or Boots —
Draft Special-.50/Glass-2.00/Pitcher
#
%
Bibliophile It!
Cost of movies too much? Roads too icy for travel? Looking for good entertainment?
The Book Department has a GIVE-WINTER-DOLDRUMS-THE-SLIP
Special for you. Watch the Emerald for details.
uo
BOOKSTORE
13th & Kincaid
Mon-Fri 8:15-5:30
Sat 10:00-2:00
In the Book Department. Only at the
UO Bookstore.
Textbooks 686-3520 • General Books 686-3510 • Supplies 686-4331
Page 9