This year the Gateball Doubles event was held before the teams event. There were six pairs competing on Friday 24th June, 2016 which was a very cold and windy day. Balls were moved from their resting position by the wind and the path of the ball was often affected. Most of the scores were not high and only a few points between them.

However, one team won all of their matches. It was the experienced combination of Sandra Reynolds from Toowoomba with Jan Wells from Ipswich. The photo below shows a delighted Jan and Sandra being awarded their badges and prize money by Marion from Michael Hare EyeCare Vision Plus.

Second place went to Lee Wentworth and Bruce McAlister while Keith McLeod and Jim Northcott were in third position.

The Gateball Teams event was held on Saturday with 6 teams competing. The games were played in cool but sunny weather. Plenty of hot and tasty food and drinks supplied by a wonderful group of people at Southport Croquet Club kept everyone happy. The players enjoyed the half hour between the games by sitting in the sunshine.

No team won every game. The Ipswich Snoopy team and Southport Red each had four wins. But, on a countback, Ipswich won the event. Congratulations to this team which halted the chance for Southport to claim their third title in a row. Over the years Ipswich had now had three wins. but never in a sequence. Southport Red was second and Southport White was placed third.

Barbara Northcott

The atrocious weather came through early on the Saturday morning of the Ipswich Gateball Challenge. Huge rainfall totals were forecast and even these were underestimated. Before 6 o’clock in the morning phone calls were made to advise participants to wait until lunch time before arriving at the club. So the intrepid organisers at Ipswich ventured to the North Ipswich Bowls Club which is their home base. It soon became obvious that there was no hope of any games being played that day. The competition was re-organised for playing just on Sunday The bowling lawn resembled a swimming pool as shown in the photo.

Paul Reynolds stands beside the the bowling green at North Ipswich Bowls Club. Swimming not Gateball is the only thing on offer.

Sunday morning brought a very cool wind but the skies were clear until about lunch time. Once again, rain threatened but the organisers managed to ensure everything was completed in the one day. Using three courts and stretching the umpire allocations quite thinly, all of the 30 minute games went ahead. It was a terrific effort by the club members to provide excellent food, sort out all of the hassles and then play so well.

The Ipswich team enjoyed the conditions of the home ground and won all six of their matches to win the Gateball Challenge for 2016. It was a well deserved win considering all of the work and stress that came from organising the two-days competition that became one day tournament. Congratulations! Second place was Eildon and third was Southport. The photos below show the award presentation made by the local Councillor – Cr. Cheryl Bromage. The team captain, Geoff Perceval, was hampered to a certain extent by the two black eyes he obtained after a fall onto the pavement earlier in the week. But, he lost none of his tactical ‘nous’ for the event. The players from Rockhampton and Gracemere were glad that their trip was not in vain and that they could play all of their games of Gateball in dry conditions.

Ipswich team that won the Gateball Challenge is congratulated by Cr. Cheryl Bromage

Eildon players receiving their prize.

Players enjoy their rest time between games.