76 THE QUEENS COURIER • MAY 2, 2013 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.queenscourier.com sports Arm wrestling comes to Queens Events, ballots announced for All-Star Game Festivities surround All-Star Game BY TERENCE M. CULLEN [email protected] Mayor Michael Bloomberg and a number of Mets legends have announced more plans for the 2013 MLB All-Star Game in Citi Field this summer. Along with the game, New York will host the T-Mobile MLB Fanfest at the Jacob K. Javits Center in Manhattan. MLB Executive Vice President Tim Brosnan said fans will be able to meet retired and current baseball players, take part in training clinics and get autographs, The marquee event leading up to the mid-summer classic will be Chevrolet’s Red Carpet Parade across 42nd Street, taking place before the All-Star Game begins. A similar parade ran through Manhattan in 2008 when the old Yankee Stadium hosted the game. Ballots for fans to pick both leagues’s rosters went out on Wednesday, April 24. Bruce Bochy of the San Francisco Giants and Jim Leyland of the Detroit Tigers will manage this year’s teams, with coaches expected to be announced in the coming weeks. One theme among Mets alums present at the announcement was getting current third baseman David Wright on the fi eld. It would be his seventh All-Star appearance. “I already voted for David 15 times,” said former Mets captain and relief pitcher John Franco. This year’s All-Star Game would be Wright’s second summer classic in New York City. He played in 2008’s All-Star Game across town from Flushing to go 3-for-4 with a walk. Wright said playing in New York is always a different experience than ball games anywhere else in the country. “I’ve been in six All-Star games and I’d gladly trade all six of them to play in this game,” Wright told reporters. “There’s nothing that’s comparable to playing in an All-Star Game in New York. This is going to be no exception.” But the current captain said he’s content just making it on to the ballot. “To see your name on a ballot is just pretty special, and in itself is a dream come true,” he said. “You look back on that one day and it’s pretty special.” Fans can view the American League and National League ballots at www. mlb.com. ARM WRESTLING CHAMPS CROWNED IN FLUSHING GRIP AND GRIT BY CHARLES OSBORN [email protected] There was a lot of hand-holding in Flushing this past weekend, but not for the reason you may think. The New York Arm Wrestling Association (NYAWA) hosted the 36th Annual NYC Big Apple Grapple International Arm Wrestling Championships at Flushing watering hole Cheap Shots on Saturday, April 27. It was the fi rst time the competition took place in Queens. The contest is usually at more notable Manhattan locations such as the Javits Center. Cheap Shots still drew male and female participants bent on testing their mettle against the best in the city. Competition categories included left- and right-hand bouts as well as amateur and professional divisions. Regardless of the category, every match was worth watching. Every athlete had a story to tell. Michael Selearis, a schoolteacher from Connecticut who won the left-handed 200 pound weight class, is a 27-time national champion. He estimated he has participated in more than 1,000 matches from Canada to Bulgaria. “There is so much ego involved,” he said, “so much technique. Whether a guy is 140 pounds or a monstrosity who can bench press 500 pounds, if you have the right technique, you can take down anybody. I’ve seen it happen.” Despite the confrontational style of the competition, the mood in Cheap Shots was friendly. Many of the contestants know each other from past competitions. “I’ve been doing this for 13 years,” Long Island native Greg Gavin said. “I’ve seen a lot of these guys before,” The female competition was just as, if not more exciting than the men’s tourney—even though you could count the number of female participants on one hand. Ana Kenah, who has not lost with her left arm in two years, took the right-handed crown away from last year’s champ, Joyce Boone. “If anyone is going to beat her, it’s going to be me,” Kenah said before her momentous victory. Kenah found her way into arm wrestling by playing rugby at Humboldt State University in California. She has since been competing in New York, and currently lives in Jersey City. Kenah trains for matches up until the week before. She is now the reigning female champion with both arms. The right-handed men’s 200 pound champion was crowned in a battle of technique against sheer size. Mike Ayello, a physically-imposing New York fi refi ghter, beat former national champion Jason Vale in a well-fought match. The NYAWA’s next event is the 30th Annual Bronxboro Arm Wrestling Championships at the Bronx Week Food and Arts Festival on Sunday, May 19.
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