Takaro Mallet Sports Club president Dennis Bulloch is keen to share his love of gateball. Photo / Judith Lacy
Takaro Mallet Sports Club president Dennis Bulloch is keen to share his love of gateball. Photo / Judith Lacy
Gateball was first played in 1947, yet few Kiwis have heard of it, let alone played the sport.
Palmerston North has its own gateball club, the Takaro Mallet Sports Club, which is based at the Takaro Sports Club.
The club formed just before Covid-19 arrived in New Zealand andbecome an incorporated society last year. It has been based at Takaro for nearly a year.
President Dennis Bulloch wants to introduce and develop gateball in Manawatū.
It is a game for all ages and genders and is not physically demanding - if you can walk, you can play, he says. Each game lasts 30 minutes and the winner is the player with the most points.
There are three hoops, a goal pole and 10 numbered balls so up to 10 people can play.
The cost is minimal with all equipment supplied by the club, Bulloch says. Solar watches worn by each player keep the time and score. The sticks (mallets) are telescopic so can be adjusted to the player’s height.
It is an easy game to understand but can be strategically challenging. It is a team game that is tactical, social, and a lot of fun, he says. Free coaching is provided.
The game is easily portable with a tape that defines the court and Bulloch would like to take it to schools.
Gateball is played in about 55 countries by about 11 million people and is like a fast form of association croquet.
Bulloch plans to play in gateball tournaments in France this year. He has already played at Meudon in Paris, Beaune in Burgundy, Geneva in Switzerland, Gransdorf in Germany and Ripon in England.
He has been playing gateball on and off for about eight years and is keen to play in Australia and Japan. Bulloch is the also director of gateball in New Zealand and is responsible for promoting the game.
Dennis Bulloch successfully runs a gate (or hoop). He has been playing gateball on and off for eight years. Photo / Judith Lacy
The club has about nine gateball players and is looking for more. Gateball is played on Thursdays at 5.30pm and Saturdays at 1pm but there is some flexibility with playing times. Flat-soled shoes are required.
Takaro Sports Club is on the corner of Botanical and Featherston Sts.
Association and golf croquet are played Wednesday and Sunday afternoons.
The club is affiliated with Gateball New Zealand, Croquet New Zealand and the Manawatū-Whanganui Croquet Association.
For more information, email djbulloch@gmail.com or ring 027 222 5024.
