Topics Members of the Gateball Federation of India Visit Japan!
Goodwill Exchange Meeting in Kumamoto
Staff of the Gateball Federation of India and six
gateball players visited Kumamoto on July 9 (Saturday). The visitors enjoyed a
daylong goodwill tournament with seven teams of around 50 people from within the
prefecture. The tournament was held at the indoor gateball court of the Araki
Kanko Hotel in Ueki-cho.
Gateball is now in its fifth year as a sport in India. The start the spread of
gateball to India was a letter sent from someone in India to the Japan Union expressing
a desire to study gateball in Japan, to which the Japan Union responded with an
invitation. The goodwill tournament was the result of the efforts of Mr. Toshiaki
Nakajima, Chairperson of the Kumamoto Gateball Union who visited India in January
of last year with the Japan Union to help promote the sport and at that time instructed
locals in how to play gateball.
Four of the fans from Kumamoto Prefecture who went to India on the January visit
also attended the goodwill tournament and renewed old acquaintanceships. Chairperson
Nakajima expressed the hope that the new players from India would get to know
“the pleasure of clever maneuvers and the excitement of team play.” Mr. Pravin
Manwatkar, General Secretary of the Gateball Federation of India expressed his
delight in “learning about such matters as tactics and details of breaches of
rules.”
The day after the goodwill tournament the group from India saw the sights of Kumamoto,
including Kumamoto Castle, then went on to Tokyo where they visited the Japan
Union secretariat before making their way back to India.
The members of the Gateball Federation of India and the Kumamoto
Prefecture gateball fans who took part in the goodwill tournament. (Chairperson
Nakajima: second right in the back row)
The Indian team has a unique way of hitting the ball.
The reunion with the Kumamoto fans who visited India last year.
At the Japan Union secretariat. At center is Pravin Manwatkar,
Secretary-General of the Gateball Federation of India. On his right is Japan Gateball
Union Director, Mr. Endo.
