At the recent QLD Gateball Teams and Doubles Championships held at Caloundra Mallet Sports Club from 15-17th August there was one person who was particularly busy. It was Margaret Barnard, the State Director of Gateball Referees. Three players had qualified in their Theory Examination for Level 2 Referee Badge in 2019 but had not had the opportunity to be assessed on their practical knowledge. Margaret was able to conduct their assessments and provide feedback to them. Congratulations must go to Cheryl Kele, (Rockhampton MSC), Max Stringer (Pine Rivers CC) and Brian Mullins (Southport CC) on obtaining your Level 2 Referee badge!

Brian Mullins, Cheryl Kele and Max Stringer are now Level 2 Referees

There were two players who wished to be assessed for their Level 1 Referee qualifications having already qualified for their Level 2 Referee badge two years ago. Ros Crowe and Keith Chur-Hansen, both from Pine Rivers CC, successfully passed their Theory and their Practical tests. Here they are proudly displaying their updated badges.

Keith Chur-Hansen and Ros Crowe receive Level 1 Referee Qualifications

There was one other person who obtained Level 2 Qualifications. It was Andrew Davies from Canberra who had arrived in QLD a few weeks early for the Championship and used his time to prepare for his exams. Congratulations Andrew! Thanks for participating, along with Margo, despite your team from Canberra being unable to cross the border which was closed because of the Covid 19  pandemic.

Andrew Davies with his Level 2 Referee Badge

Thank you Margaret for your good effort in carrying out these assessments on behalf of Gateball Australia, CAQ and ACA. There were 5 others who sat for and passed their Level 2 Theory Exams. Their Practical Assessments will be held in the future.

QLD State Gateball Teams and Doubles Championships, 2020

The QLD State Gateball Teams and Doubles Championships were held at Caloundra Mallet Sports Club from Saturday 15th August to Monday afternoon 17th August, 2020. We will never again take for granted the opportunity to play competitive Gateball!

With the wonderful hospitality provided and the excellent co-operation of the Management and members of Caloundra MSC, the three days showed just how good Gateball Championships can be with such positive attitudes and friendliness displayed by the participants. Having the spectre of the Covid-19 virus hanging over our heads, many adjustments had to be made. Whilst 9 teams attended, which was the same as last year, there were four more teams that would have attended had there not been a State border closure and a fear of catching such a lethal virus.

The Opening Ceremony was held away from the players who kept their physical distance standing on the slopes to the courts. The Club’s Patron and local MP for Caloundra, Mr. Mark McArdle, attended the Championships and sent a ball through Gate 1 to signal the start of the games. 

Opening ceremony L- R Mr Howard Williams, Mrs Margaret Barnard, Mrs Barbara Northcott and Mr Mark McArdle MP on the court.

All the participants in the State Gateball Teams Championships were watching the Opening Ceremony from a distance.

There were 6 teams each seated in their own marquee. The undercover area of the Clubhouse could only accommodate 3 teams as stipulated by the Covid Officers at Caloundra Club. Another requirement was that every person who entered the grounds was required to have their temperature checked before being admitted if the green light indicated no fever was present.

On Saturday morning there was a very overcast sky but it cleared until early afternoon. Six games were played before play was halted because of the thunderstorm that arrived at 3:00 p.m. Play resumed half an hour earlier on the very sunny Sunday morning to accommodate the postponed games in Round 7. By mid afternoon all of the 12 Rounds of matches were completed.

The winning team was Rocky Tops- a composite team of 4 players from the Rockhampton area and 1 from Ipswich. They won 7 games so secured first place from the Macisles team that had 6 wins. It was also composite team made up of players from McIlwraith and Eildon Croquet Clubs. In 3rd place was the Southport Red team. The Presentation of the Lola Whyte Trophy was made by Fiona McAlister, daughter of Lola Whyte.

Rocky Tops was the winner of the Lola Whyte Trophy L-R Peter Kajewski, Gracemere CC, Margaret Gall, Rockhampton MSC, Bruce McAlister, Ipswich CC, Cheryl and Steve Kele, Rockhampton MSC

The State Gateball Doubles Championship was organised into two Blocks each with 6 Teams.  Block A was a tussle among three teams each of whom won 4 games. The winner of Block A based on net gates scored was a team called The Defenders. As the name implies, the players were Philip Rowlands and Alan Beeson, who won the title in 2019.  The winners of Block B were Cheryl and Steve Kele who were undefeated over 5 games.

It was a fitting Grand Final in that the game developed into very close tussle towards the end of the 30 minutes. Congratulations must go to Cheryl and Steve Kele who scored 12 gates to the 11 gates obtained by Philip Rowlands and Alan Beeson. The presentation of the Bruce McAlister Shield was made by Bruce himself.

State Gateball Teams Champions were Cheryl and Steve Kele who received the Bruce McAlister Shield from Bruce.

 The presentation of 2019 Gateball Club Championship [Suzuki Cup] to the most consistent team of 2019, based on results from all Gateball team events conducted during 2019 was scheduled to occur at the first Gateball team event of 2020 at McIlwraith in April. However, the presentation did not proceed due to the restrictions imposed by Government because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the event at McIllwraith was cancelled. 

The Gateball Club Championship Committee decided that the presentation of the trophy would be postponed and be conducted at the State Gateball Team Championship event being conducted in August 2020 at Caloundra. Unfortunately, however, due to the restrictions now imposed at this event, a decision has been made that the presentation of the Gateball Club Championship Trophy to the most consistent team of 2019 will not be happening in 2020. 

The name of the most consistent team of 2019 will be engraved on the Gateball Club Championship Trophy. 

The most consistent team for 2019 was a team from the Southport Croquet Club, named ‘Southport Red’, congratulations to all the members of Southport Red and to Southport Croquet Club for fielding at times three teams at some of the Gateball events. 

Southport Red Team
Taken in 2019 when this Southport Red team won the Suzuki Cup for the 2018.

Attached is a copy of a table that lists all the teams that participated and their placings for 2019. I encourage team members in particular their captains to review and analyse the information in particular the “Gates For” and “Gates Against” with the view on what needs to be addressed with your strategies/tactics to improve your teams’ performance. 

https://gateball.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/07-2019-Club-Championship-Suzuki-Cup-Table-Final-Position.pdf

Players from 11 different Clubs were involved for 21 teams that participated during 2019, five teams met the criteria of being eligible to be considered as the most consistent team. Three teams participated three times in 2019. Two teams played in Gateball events twice during 2019, and eleven teams played once during 2019. 

As there has been insufficient Gateball team events during 2020 there will not be a most consistent team announcement for 2020. Hopefully Gateball events will resume in 2021, as life returns to normality or as close to it as we are used to. 

Bruce McAlister 

Manager Gateball Club Championship