The 12th New Zealand Masters Games swing into action in Wanganui this weekend with 2099 competitors engaged today and a further 2119 tomorrow.
The event runs over nine days and features 57 sports - the largest multi-sports competition held in New Zealand.
There are a record 7800 competitors from nine countries, including
174 from overseas. The previous Masters Games record was 7640 in Dunedin for the millennium games last year.
Many competitors enter more than one sport and as a result the total entry has soared over the 15,500 mark.
The oldest competitor is Wanganui 96-year-old indoor bowler Reg Shaw, who drove his car to the Games village yesterday to officially check in.
Ngatea pool player Len Bendall and Tauranga athlete and indoor rower Frank Cox are both 89, Wanganui nine-hole golfer Joan Bennett is 88, Mangonui pool player Lawrence McCormack is 87 and Wanganui nine-hole golfer Nellie McMahon 85.
Notable competitors include twice world rowing double sculls champions Phillipa Baker-Hogan, of Wanganui, and Brenda Lawson, of Turangi, who will row together for the first time since the Atlanta Olympics; 64-year-old former Olympic yachtsman Jock Bilger, of Auckland, who is playing golf and also sailing; and former All Black captain, coach and manager Sir Brian Lochore, of Masterton, who is chairman of the Hillary Commission and is playing golf next week.
Former national champions or internationals entered include twice Commonwealth Games cycling medal winner Jack Swart, of Hamilton, cycling sprint champions George Wharehoka, of New Plymouth, and Wanganui's Mike McRedmond.
Fellow New Zealand cycling titleholders Bruce Goldsworthy, of Auckland, and Max Vertongen, Palmerston North, are also entered.
Former hockey internationals Anna Symes and Les Wilson, of Wanganui, former New Zealand athletics champion Bev Shingles, of Wanganui, former national rowing singles father and son champions Thomas, of Whakatane, and Gary Reid, of Tauranga, have joined the entry list.
Golfers John, 70, and Pamela Giles, 66, from Daventry, are included in the English entrants.
There are 22 Lithuanians in athletics and swimming, five Sri Lankans, plus German Bhure Heinz-Breman, 66, and Holland's Henk Abels-Budel, 59, in the swimming, American Judy Gallaher, 46, in cycling and Alaskans Steve and Natalie Bradford in the road runs.
The oldest Australian is 76-year-old swimmer Rosemary Bromich.
The 10km and 5km road runs and walks and half-marathon have attracted a total of 1063 competitors, with 600 in the 10km event.
There are 612 players (more than 50 teams) in the netball, 555 in the golf, 513 in touch, 402 in soccer, 354 in indoor bowls, 339 in the twilight 400 (multi sports), 321 in hockey and 320 in basketball.
Wanganui and district provides more than 3500 of the competitors, Manawatu 815, the Wellington area 650 and the Auckland district 550.
- NZPA
The 12th New Zealand Masters Games swing into action in Wanganui this weekend with 2099 competitors engaged today and a further 2119 tomorrow.
The event runs over nine days and features 57 sports - the largest multi-sports competition held in New Zealand.
There are a record 7800 competitors from nine countries, including
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