The Proserpine Junior Sportspark came alive with brightly coloured jerseys and thousands of families setting up camp for the weekend, when the Paul Bowman Carnival came to town, attracting 75 players from across the state.
Councillor Al Grundy said that with no declared winner of the tournament, the event is set up to promote participation and sportsmanship for the formative years of under nine competition.
“It’s about getting the kids involved!” he said.
“And it was so nice to see so many people coming from so far away and travelling from all over the state.
“The whole event went really well – it was so well organised and the volunteers did a fantastic job. The people think it’s really amazing and it was lovely to hear them all saying thank you.”
Cowboy players Heilum Luki and Mitch Dunn both said they were thrilled to see such a great following for the event.
“It reminds me of going to this sort of carnival when I was younger and now they are all coming to see me!” said Heilum.
Coordinator Kim Bates said she was proud of all the organising committee and volunteers.
“It gets better every year, it’s wonderful for the whole community and we always do it for love!”
Kate Clark, Manager of the Whitsunday Brahmans under-nine team said it was awesome seeing everyone gather for the kids.
“Everyone played their best and showed really good sportsmanship,” she said.
Image: 75 teams from across the state played at the Paul Bowman Challenge over the weekend