Jimena Rugby 'getting it together'

ILLUSTRATION ONLY!!

We came across Michael Lynch, who with others pretty much started the Jimena Rugby Club. Then we came across his comment on Facebook:  "Great session today guys. Was coming together at the end. Technique still needs a bit of work, but big improvement over last two sessions. See you next week!" If you're interested in supporting the incipient club, or in joining the players, you can turn up next Saturday at the Tres Rosas Polo Club on the main road (A-405) at Marchenilla.

Jimena Rugby Club gets under way

First session at Tres Rosas

We're not as fast as we used to be here ... just found out: Jimena Rugby Club has been set up to teach tag rugby to local residents of all ages. FREE first session - The first time you come to training, to see if you'd like to play, is free. If you decide you'd like to continue playing and come training every Saturday, then you need to join the Club, which is €10 Euro fee for the year. This goes towards paying for equipment and building up a 'kitty' to enable us, at a later date, to subsidize costs of going to other venues to play and compete. Find out more on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/groups/JimenaRugby) Next training session on Saturday, May 5, at 11 in Marchenilla (Tres Rosas). En español más abajo>>>

Kid's rugby tryouts on Saturday

(Photo: rfu.com)

JIMENA This coming Saturday, from 11am to 1pm, there is a rugby tryout taking place at the Tres Rosas Polo Club just outside Marchenilla. Initially it is for boys or girls from ages 10 to 14, and will be taken by a professional Rugby coach from Gibraltar. The idea is to get local people interested in the game and if the response is good enough, regular sessions are in the offing. Dress code is trainers and shorts and t-shirt, plus bring water as it may be hot.

Potholer drowns in Hozgarganta River

Hozgarganta River
(Photo: andaluciarustica.com)

Her partner called in the alarm

JIMENA (Agencies) A 32 year old woman, with the initials M.B.J. and belonging to a group from Jerez, died over last weekend at the top reaches of the Hozgarganta River. The cause of death  remains unclear as yet. The area where she died, known as La Motilla, and close to Puerto de Gáliz, is in very rough terrain that makes access extremely difficult, and there is hardly any mobile phone coverage. According to sources at the 112 emergency centre, the incident began at about 2pm at a meander of the river which in fact is within the confines of the municipality of Jerez, although the Hozgarganta travels almost entirely through that of Jimena. However, as Jimena is much closer to the zone, local fire rescue and Guardia Civil crews were called out while others belonging to Málaga province acted as back-ups. The crews reported the place as within Jimena. They also said that the woman was already dead when they arrived but taking her body to the C-8201 road was a very difficult task. The report also said that her partner had initially tried to revive her as he was unable to connect via mobile phone. He had managed to get her out of the water, though, and onto firm ground. M.B.J. practiced potholing under water, which is considered a very high risk sport.

Taking a walk on the very, very wild side

This YouTube video has gone viral (meaning it has caught the virtual world's imagination, if you wondered what that meant). Over 2 million hits (meaning ... oh, never mind) over the last couple of weeks has brought high-risk sport fans flocking to the spot at Los Chorros, in Málaga province, according to one paper. They are apparently queuing up to take this walk - which was closed in 2000 after two walkers (let's call them climbers, shall we?) fell to their deaths over 100 meters below. The trail was built in 1905 for workers to access two hydroelectric plants being built in the area (No, madam, there was no Health & Safety Act in 1905. Please sit down.) It is about to be fixed up and made safe as part of an €8.5 million project to attract tourists to the area. Some tourists may be expected to be lost.

Andalucía Masters scheduled at Valderrama for October 27 to 30

SAN ROQUE / Sotogrande The second edition of the Andalucía Masters golf competition was officially presented in Los Barrios yesterday by Luciano Alonso, the Junta's head of Tourism, Commerce and Sport, and San Roque Mayor Juna Carlos Ruiz Boix, among others, Scheduled for October 27 to 30 at Valderrama, the event will bring together such golfing luminaries as Thomas Björn, Paul McGinley and Martin  Kaymer, as well as Miguel Angel Jiménez, Alvaro Quirós, Sergio García and José María Olazábal, who captain's the European team for the 2012 Ryder cup to be played in Chicago. The Junta de Andalucía has backed the competition with €3 million in prize money. Its representative, Luciano Alonso, pointed out that>>>

On right now and the rest of the day: Jimena Sports Day

It's happening as we write: Jimena Sports Day, with a host of events and activities, has been under way for a couple of hours down at the sports pavilion in Jimena village. It was postponed to today from last rainy wekend, but the schedule, such as it is, is thge same. You can read all about it here.

Jimena Sports Day moved to the 14th because of bad weather forecast

The fifth edition of the Jornadas Deportivas that we announced for this coming Saturday (April 30), has been moved to Saturday May 14 because the forecast for this weekend is pretty awful. See the original notice here.

Jimena Sports Day next weekend ...

Not everything depends on Kate Middleton's dress, you know. Following The Wedding, here in Jimena there is the fifth edition of our very own Olympics. Never mind, London, we're in first. Nah, what we have here is a whole lot of fun for almost no money: it's called Jornadas Deportivas and is scheduled for Saturday, April 30th from 10am to 9pm. A day full of sports, including padel, petanque, volleyball, 'adapted athletics' and a whole lot more you can see for yourself if you click on the poster. Oh, then there's also an exhibition by Strongman Juan Carlos Heredia 'El Porruo'. Sounds like the fun day it has become a tradition to be.

Jimena resident rescued when paraglider gets stuck in a tree

JIMENA (Agencies/Photo: EuropaSur) Units of the bomberos (firemen) of Ubrique and Olvera had to rescue a 44 year old man, Sebastián Merino (says an unconfirmed local source), from Granada but a long time resident of Jimena, when his paraglider (ala delta) got stuck 15 metres up a tree on Sunday. The incident took place on the side of Sierra de Líjar, some 200m from the CA-9101 road. It took 11 men, several attempts, anchors and ropes, and over four hours, to get him down in high winds, having started the operation at 4.20pm and ended at 8.30. The bomberos received an emergency 085 call from a driver who happened to be passing. The man was unharmed and his family came to pick him up in Ubrique to return him to Jimena. Sierra de Líjar is a favourite spot for this sport, as it offers steep scarpments as well as, good flatter take-off points at an altitude of 1051m.

Five-a-side football tournament postponed

(Press release) The five-a-side football 24-hour marathon we announced here has been postopned until further notice. The organizers decided on the suspension of the marathon because there were nopt enough teams to make a roster of matches. The Bar El Cielo team ad the Council's Sports Department apologise to all the teams that showed an interest in coming to Jimena for the event, and promise to try to schedule it at a further date.

'Sport and Health' programme to get under way mid-October

(Press release) MayorPascual Collado and Councillor for Sport Fernando Gómez met recently to announce some changes in the 'Sport and Health' programme that has undergone some considerable changes due to budget cuts. The Council has taken over its financing from provincial authorities. The programme, aimed at pensioners and 'people of medium age' (Prospero included) and open to residents of the municipality, will begin its new phase sometime in the middle of the month, at a cost of €5 per month for pensioners and the handicapped, and €8 to the rest. This year the programme will include maintenance exercise with other activities such as walks to different areas of the municipality, according to Gómez.

Five-a-side football marathon scheduled in Jimena

Jimena Council's Sports Department, in conjunction with local five-a-side football club El Cielo, announces the recovery of what used to be an annual event: a 24-hour marathon series of five-a-side (futbol sala in Spanish) matches. Scheduled for October 8 and 9 at Jimena's sports pavilion, and with games beginning at 8pm on Friday 8 and ending at 8pm on Saturday 9, the event is sure to attract several teams from the area. Registration costs €120 per team, and prizes range from €600 for the winner to a trophy as a consolation prize. Team registration, which can be had by calling  662 302 134 or 687 398 252, must be done by 7pm on Thursday Ocotber 7. Matches will be scheduled on that date and that time, though ganmes will be played continually over the 24 hours. (More about the game, also called futsal on Wikipedia)

Swimming lessons at covered campsite pool, registration open

(Press release) The Council's Department of Sports, headed by Fernando Gómez, announces the opening of registration for swimming lessons to be held at the covered pool at Camping Los Alcornocales (photo: JimenaPulse file). Again this year, the council and the campsite management have come to an agreement whereby those who were learning to swim at the municipal pool can continue their lessons over the winter months. Registration is now open to children and adults at the Town Hall (Calle Sevilla 61) or directly with the teacher. Classes, to be taken by the same teacher as usual, will cost €20 per month.

Paddle tennis anyone?

Paddles, or palas

Jimena's Department of Sports, headed by Councillor Fernando Gómez, proposes creating a paddle-tennis (pádel in Spanish and henceforth herein) club. Thus Gómez is calling a meeting of all interested parties for next Saturday at 8pm, at the pádel courts. The objective is to create a club to compete in regional tournaments, manage the Jimena courts, as well as the control of rentals, which would finance maintenance, promotion of the game and competition fees. Gómez adds that he and his department are open to all suggestions and begs anyone who is interested in the possibilities of the project to attend the meeting.

Municipal TaeKwonDo School begins on Monday

The Municipal TaeKwonDo School begins classes next Monday, according to the Council's Sports Department and the Lemus Han Club of La Línea, who are in charge of the service. Registration is still open (more info below) and classes will be given at the respective sports pavilions under the following schedule: Jimena: 5 to 6.30pm; San Pablo: 7 to 8.30. If you're interested, you are urged to register now: pick up and deliver forms at the Town Hall in Jimena (Calle Sevilla, 61. Tel. 956 640 254). For more information call the Lemus Han Club direct: 658 804 953 or email: lemushan@ono.com. 

Federer does it again!

In case you missed it all over the media (we did), Roger Federer played the ball from between his legs in his 2010 US Open First Round match against Argentina's Brian Dabul. Not for the first time, either; he played the same, less difficult shot, against  Djokovic at last year's Semifinal. He had the public on their feet this time, too!

We won't mention the unmentionable...

We have no photo, no image, no comment. We've seen nails painted with St. George's cross, but won't mention them. We've seen caps taken off in disgust. We've been present when a person of a certain (opposed) nationality turned up to create. He left, we should have. We could go on, but won't. Still, there's always España for the World Cup ... providing God's on this side of the Atlantic.

New barriers at sports centre

(Press release) Jimena's Department of Sports has installed a series of fixed barriers to stop cars and motorbikes from using the outdoor facilities as skid pads, as has been the case lately. The Council reminds us that vehicle access to the grounds is forbidden without authorization. The number of facilties has increased over the last few months and now includes pádel, tennis, five-a-side football, basketball, volleyball and petanque, among others.

Six Nations rugby at Oba

(Image: illustration only) Oba Bar & Bistro, just up Calle Sevilla from the main square and under new management, is open for all the Six Nations rugby matches. Opening at 1pm on Saturdays and Sundays, drinks and pub food will be available - plus a traditional roast lunch on Sundays. What better way to watch the championship than with like-minded friends, old and new, a glass or two and some good food? (See fixtures below)>