In May 2021, the World Masters Games, held every four year, is planned for Kansai, Japan. With an expectation of more than 50,000 competitors involved in over 30 sports, it will be a hub of sporting ‘tragics’. Since Gateball is now included in the World Masters Games, all Gateball players would feel very much a part of the action.

Tokyo is hosting the Olympics this year so it is the turn of another part of Japan to demonstrate their organisational skills. The Kansai region is in the central area of the main island of Honshu. This huge region is full of heritage, beautiful scenery and very welcoming people. Gateball is being held in Kyoto which attracts so many tourists each year.

If there is interest in attending, please read the attachments. The entry fee is approx $325 at the present exchange rates. But this allows you to enter in 4 other sporting events!

Download (PDF, Unknown)

So create a team from your club, or form a composite team.  Contact your friends, the National Coordinator, John Park, or the State Coordinators. 

Download (PDF, Unknown)

But don’t forget there is the Australian Gateball Championships to be held at the Gold Coast 17-19th September 2021.

The draw has been completed for the Australian Gateball Championship.

Block A

Hu Nan, China

Join, Korea

Southport White, Queensland

Pine Rivers, Queensland

Capricorns, Queensland

Essendon, Victoria & CNSW 

Woodville Australian Friends, South Australia

Sydney Epstars, CNSW

Canberra, CNSW

Block B

Shen Yang, China

Woodville (International)

Kings, India

Southport Red, Queensland

Redcliffe Roses, Queensland

Multimacs, Queensland

Kew, Victoria

Lithgow Lightning, CNSW

Hunter Allsorts, CNSW

Glen Whitehead completed the draw and is working to produce a playing schedule. The draw was nested to ensure that teams from different states or clubs are shared evenly between the pools. For example, each of the two Southport, Victorian and Chinese teams were randomly placed in different pools. Where there was larger representation, for example from CNSW and Queensland, teams were randomly allocated, with the proviso that only half the teams were allocated to each pool.

A team from Pakistan who registered several months ago, were refused visas. Kings, India and the Chinese teams are waiting to hear the outcomes of their visa applications. This process has become more difficult over the course of the last three Australian Gateball Championships. No teams were rejected for the 2015 event in Queensland but in 2017 we lost two teams. Let us hope there is only one rejection for 2019!

In 2017, Korea’s Unicorn team won the Australian Gateball Championship. They are back to defend their title at Cairnlea in 2019. Only two of the players from the original team are playing and they have renamed themselves “Join”

They were a highly skilled team and look like being so again. Their name change was explained as follows:

“I named my team “Join”. Before the gateball, my teams were all different. I went to the gateballs where they lived, and I built up friendships.
Gateball is a sport that connects balls to balls, and you can play good games only when the balls are gathered and connected. The player is the same. Only when you connect with the next player will a good game be created.

So I named it “Join”, the most suitable word for a gateball.”

They are coming to play in Sydney and the Blue Mountains before the Australian Gateball Championships in Melbourne the following weekend. Anyone interested or passing through Sydney is invited to turn up at one of the venues where the Koreans are playing.

Please contact info@gateball.com.au  if you would like to play the Koreans before they head to Cairnlea. Your enquiry will be passed to the appropriate club. It’s an opportunity not to be missed.

The program is listed below:

-Thursday 21st November,Epping Croquet Club 

-Friday 22nd November, Mosman Croquet Club. 

-Saturday 23rd November to Monday 25th November, Blue Mountains and Lithgow Croquet Club

-Tuesday 26th November, Strathfield Croquet Club