ANENDRA SINGH: You're never too old for fun and Games

It's a weird time of year. For many sportspeople it can be like a long overdue pregnancy.
It's the twilight zone of seasons - winter codes are almost done and dusted and the budding summer codes are beckoning.
Unless, of course, if you are Harveys Cornwall Cricket Club premier grade spin bowler Jonathan Hall, who must give his club and regional selectors nightmares about playing club rugby league in Hawke's Bay only weeks before that familiar sound of leather on willow gathers momentum.
I suppose if you are young and physically fit like Hall then the chances are you will survive the bone-crunching tackles and keep your bowling hand and fingers intact.
For 35 to forty-somethings like me, this time of year has got even more weird, with the soccer season ending in late August and social grade club cricket not starting until the end of this month.
Ageing is inevitable but it need not be categorised as "lost youth". It can easily be the basis of a new stage of opportunity and strength.
Many alternatives have been bandied about on how to retain some colour and vitality in the greying years. They can come in vials in the form of mineral supplements such as fish oil and the stuff that New Zealand's most famous golfing leftie, Sir Bob Charles, vouches for on TV to keep those worn joints well greased.
My favourite is a flight of fancy. Ageing, in my opinion, could be slowed down considerably if it was put through the parliamentary process in the Beehive. But, I'm afraid, that is not possible because the MPs' agenda is chocker right now with all that salacious stuff about who's been sleeping with whom.
For now, just keep on raging, I say, even if it means having to dye your hair to keep yourself on the right side of the psychological ledger.
On a serious note, oldies like Hastings Rovers Vikings Soccer Club stalwart Terry Huffam are a good example of how it's never too late to dabble in sport.
The 60-year-old player/coach slipped on a pair of boots only three years ago to kick a football for the first time in his life.
The "old Viking" will be among hundreds of other spirited souls converging on Hawke's Bay from Friday to take part in the Hawke's Bay Today-sponsored Masters Games.
He will be among sportspeople engaging in 22 codes, ranging from badminton to volleyball.
At the end of the spectrum, Flo Templeton, 104 years old, will be taking part in the fun-run/walk. Born in Wellington in 1902, Templeton is a refreshing reminder that one can is never too old to ensure the blood is pumping through the body.
No doubt, there will be the socially competitive types who will set the bar pretty high to show they haven't lost their competitive edge.
Nevertheless, for most it will be a fun-filled weekend of sport, thanks to the vision of Bruce Macdonald and Kerry Bartlett, who have also incorporated a Tour de Vineyard for those who simply want to soak up the sunny Bay atmosphere and hospitality via a bus ride.
How many athletes will get through injury-free is always anyone's guess. After all, I've known people who have pulled a muscle in the most unexpected places simply while trying to pull their socks up.
But should the competitors survive, the weekend offers priceless rewards.
Perhaps the most memorable moment of the Games last year was the 2.5-second goal a Bay team scored against another at Park Island. One player passed to another from the kick-off and caught the opposition goalkeeper napping in the goalmouth with a lofty speculator from the halfway mark.
The scoring team lost the game 2-1 in the dying minutes but it's those moments that ensure people come back for more.
Let the Games begin.
* Do you have an opinion? To contribute: e-mail sport@hbtoday.co.nz, fax 06 8730811 or write to Box 180, Hastings.