Presentation to Keith McLeod

At the closing ceremony of the Australian Gateball Teams Championship held at Bateau Bay, north of Sydney in NSW, a special, surprise presentation was made to Keith McLeod of Southport Croquet Club. Keith has been a dedicated croquet player since 1985 when he joined Dandenong Croquet Club. Initially he played Association Croquet but quickly moved to include Golf Croquet and Gateball to his skill set.

As a prime mover for the development of Gateball, Keith was State Director of Gateball for Victoria and organised that state’s first team and singles championship. In 1999 Keith was appointed the first National Gateball Director within the auspices of the Australian Croquet Association. He held this position until 2007. Importantly, Keith promoted and managed the first Australian Gateball Teams Championship in Melbourne in 2001. Two teams came from New Zealand and five from Japan. So it was fitting that at this Australian Championship Keith was given a wonderful portrait created by Frances Wregg who is an accomplished artist belonging to the McIlwraith Club in Brisbane.

Frances Wregg the artist with Keith McLeod the subject.

Frances Wregg the artist with Keith McLeod the subject.

Keith has represented Australia in 1998 in Hawaii and that was the first time Australia had sent a team to compete in the World Gateball Championship. Then he continued attending World Gateball Championships- Toyama in Japan in 2002, Busan in South Korea in 2006, and in Shanghai China in 2010. A big milestone for Australian Gateball occurred when Keith took two other referees to represent Australia as official referees for the first time in the World Gateball Championship in Niigata in Japan in 2014.

Wherever and whenever he could, Keith and his wife, Val, travelled all over the country at various times to spread the ‘seed’ of Gateball much like Johnny Appleseed spread the apple seeds in the USA. Now, there are players in Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales and Queensland as well as Victoria where he started his Gateball career. After all of these ‘firsts’ in Gateball, Keith never tires of helping all the players who wish to learn about the tactics, the skills, the rules and the knowledge he has gained. Selflessly, he has hastened the spread of the sport of Gateball so it was a wonderful thing to see Keith’s surprise when he received the painting as a token of appreciation in front of all of the local and overseas players and dignitaries.

6 thoughts on “Presentation to Keith McLeod

  1. Excellent, well done to those involved in organising this, Keith and Val you are both well thought of and respected by the Gateball community here in Australia, particularly in Queensland for the work you do for Gateball. Keith is known broadly in many countries overseas, particularly in Asia and is well respected by WGU/JGU officials. Well done Keith and congratulations.

  2. Pleased we could do this – even though the spot to do so became delayed through the weekend. That Saturday meal was just too noisy to make the presentation!

    However, whatever I do in the National role, I find foundations that were originally laid by Keith. In the area of coaching, refereeing and even in other states, past initiatives have formed a base to build on.

  3. Hi Keith & Val
    Congratulations on the presentation for your outstanding
    contribution to Gateball over the years.
    I would like to add my thanks for your help & friendship,when
    I come to Q/Land it was very much appreciated, thanks you
    once again
    Very Best Regards
    Graham Martini

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