John Alexander (Bennelong, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have previously informed the House about the Bennelong Cup, an initiative I started almost a decade ago to provide all students in the community, irrespective of their cultural background, a sport which they could all share. As I have learnt from my long career in tennis, sport brings people together. It gives us an opportunity to meet with barriers removed, play with each other and build strong communities. In the years that we have held the Bennelong Cup, thousands of students from all age groups and backgrounds have participated. The Bennelong Cup showcases multiculturalism at its very best.

All of this is not possible without many hands behind the scenes. I previously informed the House about the exceptional efforts of Andrew Hill and Ted Davis of Table Tennis NSW. Their organisational abilities and superhuman energy before and during the competition has made it a success every year. Without them, we would not be able to run the competition.

I would also like to acknowledge and thank the Hyundai Motor Company, which is a longstanding friend of the Bennelong Cup. Back when we originally started the Bennelong Cup, we reached out to Hyundai to see if they would be willing to contribute to the provision of tables. Without hesitation, they took up the challenge and provided virtually every school in the electorate with table tennis tables, balls and bats. This new equipment provided students with thousands of hours to practice and have fun. As time passed, the original kit began to wear badly. Last year Hyundai once again stepped up and provided every school which requested replacement of equipment or repairs with their needs. Some 21 table tennis sets have been distributed across the many schools. This has once again enabled the students across the electorate to take up table tennis, hone their skills and enter the Bennelong Cup. Hyundai have at every crossroads been a generous and supportive partner to the Bennelong Cup. The competition simply could not occur at the scale or sophistication that it does without their assistance.

I would also like to thank Mr Paul Pinkewich and his company, Table Tennis World, who assisted with the rollout of these table tennis sets. Installing equipment across the electorate is no easy task, but he managed admirably, and I extend our thanks to him.

I am proud to say the Bennelong Cup will once again be going ahead this year, hopefully bigger and better than ever. I would implore members of the House to look in their own electorates and find ways to encourage grassroots sport. It is one of the best ways of equipping young students with teamwork, ambition and communication skills. It is truly an Australian way of making friends and having fun.