Adelaide Trip 9th – 11th June

From the 9th to the 11th of June, I visited Adelaide in South Australia in an attempt to teach, promote, and generate interest in the game of gateball. Across the three days when I was in South Australia, 3 different croquet clubs were visited, Woodville, Hyde Park and North Adelaide. Over the three days, approximately 30 – 40 people gave gateball a try, many of whom were croquet players, including Australia’s current No. 1 golf croquet player, Greg Fletcher. The players’ ages ranged from as low as 9, to people in their 70s.

Immediately, those who tried gateball noticed there were many different skills involved when comparing it to croquet; the main one being sparking. Although at first most people found the game a challenge, by the end of the sessions all seemed to have gained a much more thorough understanding of the game. For those who had previously played and had an understanding of the game, there were also strategic elements and teachings which were incorporated into the introductory sessions.

Overall, the entire weekend went smoothly and was very enjoyable for myself, as well as those who were new to the game, with many expressing interest in playing again. I would like to thank Geoff, Trish, Peter, and Chris, who were my hosts and welcomed me with open arms, and also John Park for allowing me to travel to South Australia on behalf of Gateball Australia in an attempt to develop and increase the interest of gateball in their great state.

For those interested in playing gateball in South Australia, please contact Geoff and Trish at trishfaz@hotmail.com

David Hughes