UPDATE: Croquet nationals concludes with surprise final
AUCKLAND PARK – Golf Croquet National Championships ends its week-long championships in a surprise final.
Country Club Johannesburg hosted the Golf Croquet National Championships on 16 to 21 November. The tournament ran for the week with the finals on 21 November.
The lawns were prepped and the players were ready for the first day of the championships that was set to be one for the books. Players came from all across this beautiful nation of ours. Clad in white and sporting their famous accessory, the mallet. Like every sporting game, there was a standout player and his name is Victor Dladla. Hailed as the one to look out for, Dladla left nothing to chance.
His story is unlike any of the other players he plays with on the perfectly manicured pitch. Dladla grew up in rural KwaZulu-Natal in the village of Nkandla, herding his father’s cattle. His highest grade passed was Grade 7 in 1986. In the same year, he joined his brother in Johannesburg who worked at the Country Club.
Through the sport Dladla has played internationally in England, Egypt and Ireland.
“I like it because I never thought I would meet these people I play with,” said Dladla. “Also because everything is on you in this game, its just you and the ball.”
On the day of the finals however, Dladla only managed to make it to the handicap singles where he lost against Neil McHardy.
The main event for the golf croquet championships was a match between surprise finalists, Chris Wakeham and Peter Dreyer.
It was an intense match between the two where the winner was chosen from best of three matches ending when one of the opponents reached seven points first.
Chris Wakeham, the winner said it was very tough match.
“I did not expect to be in the final, I just managed to sneak in,” said Wakeham.
The winners for the day were:
Handicap doubles: Alison Lewin and Christine Wakeham
Open Doubles: Alison Lewin and Christine Wakeham
Handicap Singles: Neil McHardy
Restricted Handicap Doubles: Jessie Janke and Jo Meintjes
Restricted Handicap Singles: Alastair Lang
There are different kinds of croquet namely: Garden croquet, Irish croquet, Golf croquet and Association croquet.
Golf croquet, unlike a few of the others, lets the player have one chance to hit the ball and waits for the next chance.
Details: Country Club Johannesburg stevenn@ccj.co.za or 011 202 1637.
