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Caloundra Gateball Masters Tournament (14-15 November)
Caloundra's colourful hand-painted flags created a welcoming setting for several Queensland teams who participated in a well-organsised gateball competition held on the weekend of the 14th and 15th of November at the Caloundra Mallet Sports Club.
Regular participants in such events were excited by the first appearance of a Bribie Island team who faced their challenges with determination and were unlucky not to record their first victory in a close fought game with MacIlwraith Blue.
Each team played seven games over the two days from a pool of Bribie, Ipswich, MacIlwraith Blue, MacIlwraith White, Rockhampton, Southport and Toowoomba. Ipswich and Southport won six games apiece and the Ipswich team narrowly won the competion. MacIlwraith Blue claimed third position with four wins.
The dry, fast grass lawns were a challenge for all players and increased the risk of balls squirting out from under the foot of even the most careful of sparkers. The competion would also probably lay claim to a higher than average number of balls stroked or sparked accidentally out of play although the painted lines were a great help for players trying to put, and keep, balls in play by the smallest margins possible.
In the doubles competition on the following Monday, Geoff and Bev Percival (Ipswich) beat Sandra Reynolds and Jocelyn Sweeney from Toowoomba in the Grand Final 23-10. In the semi finals, Coral and Glenda (Caloundra) lost to the Percivals while Chantel and Les went down to Sandra and Jocelyn.
The Percivals were unbeaten all day although Caloundra's young gateballer, Chantel, who teamed with Les Smedley, gave the champions a big fright in the block rounds. The Percivals came from behind to secure a victory in the last few minutes.
If you have any more photos of the Championships, please send them to info@gateball.com.au.
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