On today's show, Bartholomew Hall is joined by Dartford's Hammer Throwing prodigy Kai Barham to talk about how he recently signed a scholarship with the University of California.
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00:00 Hello and welcome along to Invicta Sport, the only show on your TV dedicated to wrapping
00:23 up all of Kent's sporting action.
00:25 I'm Bartholomew Hall and here's what to expect on this Monday 27th November.
00:32 Angels ascend!
00:35 Tunbridge look to extend unbeaten run in the National South.
00:40 Holcomb howls.
00:41 We speak to New Zealand international Phoebe Steele on the strong run so far.
00:46 And throwing it to the US.
00:47 I'll be joined by Dartford's up and coming hammer throwing champion.
00:53 But we start this evening with the news that the reaction has poured in from across the
00:57 county as the former England manager Terry Venables has passed away at the age of 80.
01:03 Gillingham FC posted a tribute to the former player and manager writing on social media
01:08 that the club's thoughts and condolences are with his family, friends and loved ones at
01:13 this difficult time.
01:15 Moving forward and the professional debut of Medway's Charlie Hickford was described
01:20 as classy after getting his first win at York Hall.
01:24 Up against Jake Pollard who had a record of one win in 57 fights, the 21-year-old went
01:29 the distance across four rounds of action to clinch a 40-35 points victory.
01:35 Speaking on television cameras, the youngster said things are only going to get better and
01:39 that he's already looking forward to his next fight.
01:43 Next and this weekend we found out that Folkestone have announced their new manager.
01:50 Former club player Andy Drury.
01:53 The former Ipswich, Luton Town, Ebbsfleet and Sittingbourne midfielder was in caretaker
01:58 charge after the club parted ways with former managers Michael Everett and Roland Edge earlier
02:03 this month.
02:04 Drury took to the dugout just two hours after the Saturday announcement for Invicta's
02:08 Italy and Premier match at home to Bognor Regis which did go down as a 1-0 loss.
02:13 Folkestone now sit 15th in the table.
02:17 Sticking with the football and Tunbridge Angels went into the weekend looking to extend
02:20 their unbeaten run with eight games against the National League's south bottom sitters
02:25 Havant and Waterlooville.
02:27 Jason Lundesside looked the stronger side on paper so here's how they got on plus a
02:31 round up of the rest of the weekend's fixtures.
02:34 Over a thousand people were in attendance at Longmead Stadium to watch a Tunbridge side
02:38 host the Havant and Waterlooville team routed to the foot of the National League south table
02:42 in a game that had the potential to send the Angels into the playoffs if other results
02:46 went their way.
02:47 And there wasn't much to see in the first half as both sides fought to break the deadlock.
02:52 The best chance would fall to Francis Mampolo who forced Ross Warner into a fine save to
02:56 keep things level.
02:58 Just minutes later and Havant would dealt a killer blow as James Roberts received a
03:02 second yellow card for a dive in the box and was sent packing to leave his side with 10
03:06 men for the remaining 60 minutes.
03:09 That was all there was to report from the first 45 minutes as Tunbridge headed into
03:12 half time knowing that with a personnel advantage they would get the chances to put the game
03:16 to bed in the second half.
03:18 And they started as they meant to go on with Jordan Neil Greenidge brought down in the
03:21 box and Lewis Card converting the penalty to hand Tunbridge a deserved lead.
03:26 Having won the penalty minutes prior Greenidge got his chance to put his name on the score
03:30 sheet just minutes later heading home a floated cross and all but seeing out the game for
03:34 the Angels.
03:35 Or so we thought as Havant played some direct football and challenged Tunbridge aerially.
03:40 The back line were poor in communication allowing Kieran Phillips to convert a sloppy goal in
03:44 the 65th minute and set up a slightly more tense finish to the game than anticipated.
03:49 But Tunbridge continued to press late into the game and were rewarded as Tariq Devante
03:53 Aaron Hines rounded off an excellent solo goal with a neat finish to all but finally
03:58 see off the game.
03:59 They weren't satisfied with that though and nor was Hines who thundered in from the edge
04:03 of the box after Havant failed to clear the ball successfully capping off an excellent
04:07 performance in the second half with a delightful fourth goal.
04:10 Here's what manager Jay Saunders had to say after the game.
04:12 "I just felt we allowed them, especially when we went to ten, to be comfortable in
04:17 the game and didn't have to attempt far enough, move the ball quick enough.
04:20 Once we started doing that we started causing problems."
04:22 Elsewhere in Kent, Gillingham suffered a 3-1 away defeat at Tranmere as their inconsistent
04:27 performances continue.
04:29 The result drops them to 9th at point of the playoffs with an unfavourable goal difference
04:32 compared to the sides around them.
04:34 In the National League Ebbs Fleet secured an unlikely yet crucial 4-1 away win over
04:38 mid-table side Oldham, moving them to the brink of safety at the foot of the table and
04:42 handing them their first victory in eight league games.
04:45 A crazy week in the National League South saw plenty of goals with the aforementioned
04:48 Tunbridge securing a 4-1 win against Havant and Waterlooville, while Maidstone were unfortunate
04:53 to lose 3-2 to strugglers St Albans.
04:56 Dover continued their poor run with a 1-0 loss at home to Western Supermare.
04:59 The results leave Maidstone and Tunbridge in a fantastic position high up in the table
05:03 with Dover in need of improvement to escape the relegation zone.
05:06 And finally in the Ismian League Premier, the three Kent sides were all at home, but
05:10 Chatham Town were the only team to win this weekend.
05:13 That season remained second in the table, while Marget and Folkestone sit next to each
05:17 other in 15th and 16th.
05:19 And that's all for your round-up of this week's footballing action.
05:27 As the England Hockey League season is reaching the end of Phase 1, it's been a tight battle
05:32 for both of the first teams at Holcombe Hockey Club.
05:34 With the men's first squad currently sitting third in the Premiership going into the Christmas
05:38 break, the Medway side's women's first team have still got one game remaining.
05:43 And with the goal of rejoining their male counterparts in the top flight of the sport,
05:47 Holcombe women have made quite the start to the season, currently sitting second in the
05:51 women's division one south, and most recently having beat Wimbledon five goals to one, straight
05:56 after taking Canterbury a whopping 7-1.
05:59 To catch up on how the season is going so far, I spoke to New Zealand international
06:03 and Holcombe player Phoebe Steele earlier today.
06:07 So I'm joined now by Phoebe Steele, thank you very much and welcome to the programme,
06:12 Phoebe.
06:13 Now you joined Holcombe women's midway through the last season, back when the side was up
06:16 in the Premiership.
06:18 How's the season going now, obviously now down in division one south?
06:22 It seems to be quite a strong start, almost reaching the midpoint.
06:26 Yeah, I'm pretty pleased with how we're sitting at the moment.
06:30 I think we've just dropped down to third, but it's a close race at the top.
06:37 And yeah, happy with how we're going overall.
06:39 We've dropped a couple of games we probably are disappointed in, but yeah, a bit of a
06:45 contrast to last season.
06:46 Absolutely.
06:47 Well, I was going to ask actually what the kind of competition difference has been since
06:50 coming down to this league.
06:51 I mean, one of the noticeable differences is not having to travel very far for some
06:55 of your opponents.
06:56 I know just a few weeks ago you were up against Canterbury, obviously a local derby there.
07:01 Yeah, it's actually, I only played the second half of last season, so I didn't get the full
07:06 season taster, but it's been good.
07:09 The travel has definitely been a little bit less, although we've had a few big drives
07:14 this half, but hopefully some more home games next half of the season.
07:17 And yeah, quality wise, it's a good standard.
07:21 We as a team are finishing more goals, which is awesome.
07:25 It's good to get that confidence and winning some convincing games.
07:29 So just hoping to pick up those games that are in the balance at the moment in the next
07:33 half of the season.
07:34 Absolutely.
07:35 And you mentioned a moment ago about currently sitting third in the competition in the table,
07:42 but I think it's kind of an understatement because you have had quite a good success
07:46 this season so far.
07:47 Just a few games ago, you were on a six game unbeaten run.
07:50 I mean, do you look at the stats in that kind of way?
07:52 I mean, it's surely a momentum like that's quite a good thing to push you all forward.
07:57 I think so.
07:58 I think the game that unfortunately dropped us down to third was Versparns and it was
08:03 something that we were really disappointed in with how we turned up for that game.
08:07 Obviously we can't change it, but we do get a second crack at them next season and it
08:11 will be at home.
08:12 So really targeting that game.
08:13 But it just highlights that difference that at the moment, Serbett and Tuz are clear winners
08:19 and we unfortunately went down to them.
08:22 So it's really tight at the top there.
08:24 And yet we do look at getting that momentum.
08:27 But I think for us, it's just consistency in how we play.
08:31 When we're on that roll, we need to stay consistent and we need to not drop games that we probably
08:36 should be winning.
08:37 Of course, you mentioned that Barnes, another one of those teams looking for a promotion,
08:41 looking to kind of stay at the top end of the table.
08:44 One notable game is the 7-1 sort of demolition job against Canterbury a few weeks ago.
08:51 I mean, quite the success there.
08:52 How did that kind of go?
08:53 Everything just seemed to come together.
08:56 Yeah, I think if you look at the week before, we played Bath and we drew 4-4 in a really
09:02 high scoring game.
09:03 And to be honest, Bath could have clinched it at the end there.
09:06 I think they hit the post maybe once or twice.
09:08 So unfortunately for Canterbury, they got us on a week where we were looking for redemption
09:13 and we had had a really good training week after that Bath game.
09:18 And I'm really happy that we were able to put out that performance and kind of get our
09:21 momentum back after a tough week the week before.
09:25 Absolutely.
09:26 Now, looking ahead to the weekend ahead, you've got the final cup game before Christmas and
09:31 the final league game as well.
09:32 I mean, when you think to that kind of break between the phases, talk again about momentum.
09:38 I mean, does it kind of put a halt in things?
09:40 You have to kind of restart in January or is it a welcome break?
09:44 I think it's a welcome break.
09:46 If I'm honest, I think it's getting to the point where we're all firing, but there's
09:51 definitely we do need some time off and the girls will go into indoor.
09:57 But yeah, for some of us, it's been a really long season.
10:00 So to have a few weeks away from the turf, some family time, obviously Christmas, New
10:05 Year's and then, yeah, I think we'll be able to hit the ground running.
10:09 It's a really nice reset that's coming at a good time.
10:12 I mean, it seems overall there's quite a lot of positivity coming out of the group.
10:17 You seem like quite a close bunch, but I mean, for yourself individually, five goals in all
10:21 competitions so far.
10:23 How do you rate your own success so far?
10:28 I think it's definitely the team is definitely close and we are relatively happy with where
10:35 we're at.
10:36 I think we are our own worst enemy.
10:38 We come away from games that we've won convincingly and we're still disappointed in the little
10:42 moments.
10:43 But I think that's also a testament to the high standards we set ourselves.
10:47 And then just personally, it's great to come into a team that's so welcoming and that allows
10:53 me to be me.
10:54 And I think although I just have to play a part in the team, I don't have to do anything
10:59 other than my job.
11:00 And if I'm doing my job, then I'm happy.
11:02 And I think if everyone else is doing their job, then that's the reason we're winning
11:06 our big games.
11:07 Absolutely.
11:08 Well, Phoebe, thank you very much for speaking with us today.
11:11 Just before we go, what are your Christmas plans?
11:13 Are you back to New Zealand over the break?
11:14 Yeah, I'm back to New Zealand for seven or eight weeks.
11:18 I'm pretty excited for that.
11:20 Absolutely.
11:21 It's a bit of sun.
11:23 Phoebe Steele talking to me there.
11:24 Really good to catch up with her.
11:25 Now, we've reached halftime, which means it's time for a break.
11:28 But coming up, I'll be joined by Kai Barham.
11:30 He is Dartford's hammer throwing prodigy who is set to next year move to the US on a university
11:36 scholarship.
11:37 After becoming the national number one and dominating the youth rankings, the 18-year-old
11:42 Dartford Harriers athlete is well on the path to, hopefully for him, represent Team GB in
11:47 the 2028 Olympics.
11:49 All that and plenty more left to come on Invicta Sport after these few messages.
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15:09 Hello, and welcome back to Invicta Sport live on KMTV.
15:16 Now, it's time to welcome our next guest this evening.
15:19 Hammer thrower Kai Barham has recently decided to trade in the streets
15:23 and cloudy skies of Dartford for the West Coast sunshine of the University of California
15:28 as he's landed a scholarship.
15:30 After becoming the national number one and dominating the youth rankings,
15:34 the 18-year-old Dartford Harriers athlete is well on the path to,
15:37 hopefully for him, represent Team GB in the 2028 Olympics.
15:42 But before we say hello to Kai, here's what you need to know about the hammer throw.
15:47 Dartford's very own Kai Barham has set his sights on the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
15:53 And the pathway to getting there has just been made all that clearer
15:58 after landing a top scholarship to the University of Berkeley in California
16:02 where he'll be training under some of the world's greatest hammer throwers.
16:06 But what is it about the sport that makes it so unique?
16:09 Well, the equipment needed to take part is relatively simple.
16:12 A heavy metal ball attached to a steel wire and a handle
16:16 with a large enough space to throw it.
16:19 But the technique is much more sophisticated.
16:22 Athletes step into a circular throwing area,
16:25 unleash a spinning dance with a build of momentum
16:28 before releasing it towards the field.
16:31 Scoring in hammer throw is all about the distance.
16:34 Throws are measured from the centre of the circle to the spot where the hammer lands.
16:39 But stepping out of bounds, losing form or faltering will result in a disqualification.
16:46 Dominating the youth rankings since taking up the sport,
16:49 it's safe to say that Kai Barham has made a name for himself in the hammer throwing scene.
16:54 But before heading to the States and with a personal best of 70.58 metres,
16:59 Barham aims to smash the British record at the under-20 world championships in Peru.
17:04 Then it's all sights on making the Team GB squad for Los Angeles 2028.
17:10 So the next time you see a hammer thrower in action,
17:13 why not take the time to appreciate the artistry, the strength
17:17 and the dedication that defines this Olympic sport.
17:21 Well, joining me in the studio now is Kai.
17:25 Kai, thank you so much for joining us and welcome to Invicta Sport as well.
17:28 Now, looking at those pictures, that looks just extraordinary.
17:31 But how did it all start for you?
17:33 I know you was 12 years old when you took up the sport.
17:35 Why hammer throwing?
17:37 Well, it was my school teachers that sort of got me into it.
17:40 We have quite a strong athletics team at my school
17:43 and they sort of put me in the charts for throwing because I was good at rugby.
17:46 So they thought, well, could be good at athletics.
17:48 And yeah, I just found that I loved it immediately.
17:52 And I ended up being quite talented at it and I thought, yeah, I'll give it a go.
17:55 Had you seen much of it before when you first picked it up?
17:58 Because I think most people, they think hammer throwing, they think the Olympics.
18:01 That's kind of every four years it comes around.
18:03 But obviously not for you now. It's kind of turned into your whole life.
18:05 But had you seen it before?
18:07 Only a little bit. So I'd seen some of the boys in the year above do it.
18:10 And I've been, oh wow, I like them. I think they're cool.
18:12 Maybe I'll give it a go and try and copy them.
18:14 I mean, it looks like such a display of strength as you're doing it.
18:18 But it's a lot of technique as well that goes into hammer throw.
18:21 Yeah, big time. Big time.
18:22 So I spend probably 60% of my week working on my technique
18:26 and then about 40% on my strength.
18:28 So it's completely dominated by sort of the technical and finer aspects.
18:33 But when you watch it, it's like, well, that's all strength.
18:35 But it's much finer than that.
18:36 Absolutely. I mean, we saw some of the photos on the screen there
18:39 and the pictures of you in action.
18:41 I mean, you've got to absolutely ignore my ignorance here.
18:46 But surely there's a moment where, I mean, how do you find kind of
18:50 what can you learn next in a way?
18:52 Because it looks to someone like me who's never kind of taken an interest really
18:57 in hammer throwing until today, until I've looked at your pictures.
19:00 Where's the sort of room for progression once you've kind of mastered your style of it?
19:04 Yeah, so there's so many fine details and it's one of the most important events for your coach.
19:09 So in other events, you can kind of get away with doing it yourself.
19:12 But for me, I've had my former coach was an Olympian
19:16 and the new coach has taken me over at Berkeley.
19:18 Our coach is two world champions.
19:20 So it's sort of, they work out all the technical stuff
19:23 and I just sort of listen and do it untold.
19:25 Yeah, it makes it easy for me, hard for them.
19:27 Yeah, and you mentioned going to the US as well.
19:29 I mean, a big move for you.
19:31 But talk to me about the last few years then.
19:33 I mean, when did it kind of become a reality that you thought,
19:36 "Oh, I could go to America and I could go to university and take this on"?
19:40 I think it was sort of as I was coming out of COVID,
19:43 I sort of won my first national titles and started talking to some of the
19:47 like senior athletes that had come back from America.
19:49 And they all sort of gave really good reviews.
19:52 They were saying, "This is the way to go. You get better funding.
19:54 People start paying a bit more attention to athletics over there than they do here."
19:59 And it's just more of a growth opportunity than anything I'd have here.
20:02 So it was sort of just out of COVID that I was getting pushed that way.
20:06 And you're in your University of California hoodie there as well.
20:09 Why did you choose Berkeley?
20:11 For me, it was a mix of like the coach and the university itself.
20:15 Obviously, the academics are incredible there,
20:18 but I also just got on super well with the coach.
20:20 He's probably the best in the world and it's just an opportunity I couldn't really turn down.
20:25 Yeah, and as you go, I mean, I think it's quite easy to say,
20:27 "Oh, you're going off to do your hammock throwing,"
20:29 but you are going to be studying as well at university.
20:31 You're part of the scholarship.
20:32 You've chosen science and science and English. Is that right?
20:35 Yeah, I'm going to try and do two degrees while I'm out there.
20:38 A mix of physics and English or economics and English.
20:40 I'm still working that out, but yeah, it should be a nice challenge to go with the sport.
20:44 That's it. I mean, it's quite a balance there because next year,
20:48 I mean, this is before you actually start there, if I'm right.
20:51 You've got the under-20 world championships,
20:53 but whilst you're there as well, you'll be playing for Berkeley and representing them.
20:58 So, I mean, quite the challenge ahead of you.
21:00 Yeah, it will be a bit of a juggling act.
21:03 And the way it lines up is the main world season for European championships,
21:08 world championships, that sort of thing, it happens after the year finishes academically,
21:12 but there's a big portion of the year where I'm competing for Berkeley
21:16 and doing my degree at the same time.
21:18 So, yeah, it's a finely balanced thing, and I have to work with the coaches,
21:22 the academic advisors to sort out my schedule to get in the best place
21:26 for those big American competitions and then the big world competitions afterwards.
21:29 Absolutely. We've got the photo on the screen here of you clearly having a bit of a celebration,
21:34 having signed your scholarship to make the move.
21:38 What's been the reaction from your friends and family?
21:40 Because it is a big move, moving all the way to America.
21:43 It's been kind of very surreal, not just for me, but also the people around me.
21:47 My life has changed so much over the last few months,
21:50 let alone the few years that I've been doing this.
21:52 And it's like I knew it was coming down the line,
21:55 but it's arrived much quicker than I expected, all this,
21:58 the real side of moving out to America.
22:01 And my family have been very, very supportive,
22:03 and all my friends have been a little bit daunted, I guess,
22:06 by me moving the other side of the world.
22:08 Well, jealous as well.
22:09 Yeah.
22:10 Like I said, you're trading the skies that we've got here for the Californian sun.
22:14 No, but, OK, before we finish, I want to kind of get into your mind a bit.
22:17 When you're stepping up to the circle there, you've got your hammer with you,
22:21 what's going through the mind in those few moments?
22:24 It depends.
22:25 If I'm having a good day, it's very fluid.
22:27 It's more sort of I'm trusting myself, I'm going in with the mindset that I know what to do,
22:33 I can do this.
22:34 But other days it's like I'm going through all the different technical points I need to focus on
22:38 if it's not quite as fluid.
22:40 And it's sort of about finding my rhythm and trying to work on small details
22:45 when it's not going so well.
22:47 And, I mean, when you're there, I mean, I tend to say this a lot when I'm speaking to athletes,
22:51 when you have a kind of physical object with you, it's just you and your hammer.
22:55 Talk to me about the hammer we've got here.
22:57 This is, remind me, this is six kilos.
23:01 And this is the weight you use as a junior, if I'm correct?
23:04 Yeah, it's the one I use for my under-20 competitions.
23:07 So European Champs last year was under-20s, so I was using this.
23:10 And all my national titles have gone with this.
23:12 So, yeah, I've got some good memories for that.
23:15 And, I mean, you must have quite a relationship with your hammer as well.
23:18 I mean, when you're there, it's just you and the hammer.
23:21 I mean, how many have you got then at home? How many hammers?
23:24 Well, so overall, probably about 10, 15.
23:26 They're all different weights, different length wires.
23:30 And I use them mainly in training to work on different aspects.
23:33 So I use a heavy one to get stronger, use a light one to get faster and that sort of thing.
23:36 Oh, that's exciting stuff.
23:38 Well, best of luck with the future.
23:40 Thank you so much for coming here.
23:41 And I'm sure we'll follow all your journey as you go to the US as well.
23:45 And, of course, best of luck next year in Peru as well in the under-20 World Championships.
23:49 Thank you for having me.
23:50 Thank you very much.
23:52 Now, just before we go this evening, it's time to remind you that you can keep up to date
23:56 with all the latest sports news, interviews and features from here on Invicta Sport
24:01 by heading to our website, kmcv.co.uk and click on the Sport tab.
24:06 There you'll see videos like this one about Maidstone's representatives
24:09 in England's under-19s volleyball squad.
24:12 [Music]
24:22 Training behind me now is a development group full of young volleyball players,
24:25 all of whom hope to go professional one day.
24:28 But some of them have already played for their country.
24:31 I visited the talented National League team, Invicta Volleyball, in Maidstone,
24:36 who boast an impressive roster of young setters, middles, liberos and hitters.
24:41 The North European Men's Volleyball Club Championship under-19s tournament
24:45 was held in Rovaniemi, Finland, in October this year,
24:49 with eight countries participating in both boys' and girls' events.
24:52 I spoke to two Kent players, who both appeared for the England national team.
24:57 I found out about the Kula Fin around early September.
25:00 I saw the name, saw my name on there, and just overjoyed.
25:03 Ahead of the tournament, it was just adrenaline pumping. It was beautiful.
25:07 It's quite a good way to get there and play.
25:09 I think the atmosphere with the crowd was really uplifting and it was just a great experience.
25:15 I was actually nervous. I was nervous when I got there, naturally.
25:19 But before the tournament, I was just dedicated to training hard.
25:22 I was going to the gym, eating well, so that was amazing.
25:26 We had the room with a sauna. I've never had that before.
25:30 Everything was just incredible.
25:32 The main hall had a TV that had everything streaked on it, the games.
25:37 So it was incredible.
25:38 The Invicta team is no ordinary group, even with two national players.
25:43 The rest of the group are selected from a small three-team league, known as the Invicta League.
25:48 This invitational league aims to play a higher calibre of volleyball compared to county league.
25:53 And for those that want to make it as a professional one day,
25:56 getting into this league and then being hand-picked by the coach is a definite boost.
26:01 I think there's not a huge amount of exposure to the sport presently,
26:04 and that makes it difficult for organisations to get behind it.
26:07 That's changing. We're getting a lot more exposure.
26:09 I think things like Instagram and TikTok have really helped with putting volleyball more into the public eye.
26:14 People are seeing the game a lot more.
26:16 But that's the main reason, I think, is exposure. We don't have enough of that at the moment.
26:19 Coach Thomas has also exclaimed his wish for the Invictas to make it out of the third division
26:24 and turn volleyball from an amateur sport into a professional one.
26:28 Finn McDermott for KMTV.
26:30 And that is full-time on today's episode of Invicta Sport.
26:36 If you want more from KMTV, right after the break we have a brand new episode of Generation Y.
26:41 But if you head to kmtv.co.uk you can watch back all episodes of Invicta Sport
26:45 plus the rest of our special programmes.
26:47 I'll be back on Friday with another episode, but for now, goodbye.
26:50 [Outro Music]
27:02 [BLANK_AUDIO]