17 October 2011
I am grateful to have received many accolades for the way in which the Petanque activities in the Masters Games have been run.
I am just pleased that everybody enjoyed the experience. I must make it clear however, that I played a very small part in the day to day events. The congratulations for the success of the competitions must go to Adrian Clements and Sue Williams who were the Tournament Directors throughout, without them it would have been a shambles. I would like to ask all of you to recocognise their contribution. Also, the Sports Volunteers who animated the "Come and Try" piste in the Village did a fantastic job introducing the uninitiated into the delights of Petanque.
My thanks to those who gave freely of their time to support our initiative.

Best Regards
Stan Wilson

  Items from XIII AMG News & Media

Pétanque a mind game   10 October 2011
Penola artist and sculptor Guy Detot has swapped his sculpting tools for pétanque and soccer balls for the 13th Australian Masters Games this year.
Originally from Paris, Guy has grown up playing pétanque, a sport played everywhere in France but with a surprisingly large membership here in Australia. Guy is the President of the Coonawarra Pétanque club which hosts an internationally recognised tournament every year. “It is one of the fastest growing and most played sports in the world,” says Guy, “and unlike sports like soccer it really can be played by anyone, no matter their age, shape or size. The inventor of pétanque was a man who could not even stand!”
Guy has been a keen sportsman all his life. He moved to Australia 28 years ago for his ballet dancing career, having also danced in Germany and England and he won the title of Best Male Modern dancer in Australia three times. He is also a keen soccer player and surfer. Guy is just as passionate about his sport as he is about art, competing in his fourth Masters games this year.
In previous Masters Games Guy has taken home gold and silver medals but the competition this year is proving to be a lot harder. “The competition today is very tough – I have lost all of my games today” he explains. Guy is not disappointed because for him, pétanque is not just about winning but the little achievements in each game. “I didn’t win the game but I got most of the shots I was aiming for and that felt really good.”
What Guy enjoys most about the sport is that it is more of a psychological game than a physical sport, “It’s all about mind games, you have to put pressure on the other team. I really enjoy the concentration you need to use.”

A perfect day for pétanque   14 October 2011
The conditions were perfect for day two of the 13th Australian Masters Games triples pétanque competition held at the Prospect Pétanque Club. Peter Beaumont, a competitor in Saturday’s playoffs, managed to take out first place in all his games and attributed his win to the good weather and his hard practice.
“It was perfect competition weather today. The Prospect club has provided us with beautiful playing grounds and, most importantly, lots of shade,” Peter said.
Peter played as a triple with his step-father Raymond and friend Lionel. When asked why he played pétanque, Peter explained that he liked the atmosphere it offered. “You can mix the social side in with the competitive, which makes it such a great family sport,” he said.
“Pétanque is a great sport, especially here in South Australia where we have the pétanque league with a great group of people,” Peter said.
“It’s a tight community and I know almost everyone here. It’s also good to get a few new faces with the people who have travelled from New South Wales and Victoria.”
When asked about his biggest competition, Peter said that the Cooper’s sponsored team were a challenge to beat.
“They were a bit of an unknown quantity, as it was their first time in this competition,” Peter said.
Peter’s top tip for a winning pétanque throw is lots of practice. “Once you’ve played for a while you pick up some tricks. You can put a little spin on the ball to make it turn, which helps when there are other balls in front of the jack,” Peter said. “Sometimes it’s a lot about luck.”
It was Peter’s first time competing in the Games, having previously been involved in the Games as an umpire.
“I’ve umpired at the last two Adelaide Masters Games and it was so frustrating seeing everyone having all the fun so I decided to play instead of umpire,” Peter said.
Games Project Manager Ian Fitzpatrick said, “The Games are a great way for anyone to get in the game, whether they choose to compete socially or competitively. Promoting an active lifestyle across all generations is what the Games is all about.”
The Australian Masters Games began in 1987 and in 2011 is hosting 8,500 competitors in 52 different sports at 70 venues across Adelaide.     

End the Games on a high   16 October 2011
The Newcastle over sixty pétanque team have had a stellar 13thAustralian Masters Games taking home three gold, two silver and a bronze medal. The faces of the team are Grant and Kim Threadgate, Delys Brady and Colin Hutchinson who have participated in the past four Australian Masters Games.  The two couples enjoy the tactical nature of pétanque and say that beating the competition is not all luck but rather strategies that must be put in place to win. “There is much more skill involved in pétanque than people think,” says Grant. Congratulations to the dynamic quartet and we hope to see them at the next Games.

Gold Medal

Peter Beaumont

Silver Medal

Roland Pye

Gold Medal

Delys Brady

Bronze Medal

Joy Field

4th

Glenis Head

5th

Chris Carter

6th

Annie Hambour

7th

Margaret Monneron

8th

Kim Threadgate

9th

Judith Stibohar

Silver Medal

Grant Threadgate

11

+45

5th

Ken Field

9

+38

6th

Brian Tuckfield

8

+23

7th

Guy Detot

7

+14

8th

Stan Wilson

6

-18

9th

Steve Hambour

5

-23

Axel Monneron

4

-27

John Rex

4

-38

Colin Hutchinson

4

-41

Men 30-54 Doubles    Played on Friday 14 October at Eastern Suburbs Pétanque

Gold Medal

Peter Beaumont & Ray Beaumont

Bronze Medal

Mark Hubert & Scott Randall

Mixed 30-54 Doubles    Played on Friday 14 October at Eastern Suburbs Pétanque

Gold Medal

Shana Kenny & Anthony Petherick

Gold Medal

Joy Field & Ken Field

Bronze Medal

Kim Threadgate & Grant Threadgate

Gold Medal

Shana Kenny & Melissa Brow

Bronze Medal

Delys Brady & Kim Threadgate

Bronze Medal

Ken Field & Steve Hambour

Gold Medal

Peter Beaumont, Ray Beaumont and GuyDetot

Silver Medal

Brent Felice, Anthony Petherick and Geoff Pevreall

Gold Medal

Joy Field, Delys Brady and Kim Threadgate

Silver Medal

Judith Stibohar, Llianne Healey and Chris Carter

Silver Medal

Colin Hutchinson, Ken Field and Grant Threadgate

Gold Medal

Delys Brady, Grant Threadgate and Kim Threadgate

Bronze Medal

Annie Hambour, Steve Hambour and Terry Hall

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Registrations open 14 February 2011 (AMG - 4 January 2011)

With approximately nine months to go, the management team behind the largest multi-sporting event in Australia are well advanced in their planning for the Games. Registrations will open on 14 February 2011, and competitors are encouraged to use the online registrations system via the games website www.AustralianMastersGames.com.
In an effort to make the registration process as quick and easy as possible, we plan to incorporate a personalised log in feature. For those participants that have already registered their interest via the web form currently displayed on the website, you will be emailed a personalised username and password that will log you into the registration system. Once logged in, the system should automatically recognise and populate your personal details, making it quick and easy for you to get registered and Get in the Game!
For those participants that do not have internet access we encourage you to contact the office via phone on 08 8409 1900 and we can complete your registration either over the phone for by faxing or mailing the necessary paperwork out to you.
The 13AMG team are working hard to ensure there will be a record number of participants in Adelaide. Our goal is to achieve 14,000 participants including Games competitors, accompanying people and workforce. Prior to registrations opening, the 13AMG team are encouraging people to check-out the website at www.AustralianMastersGames.com, register your details, obtain sport specific information, book accommodation and ‘Get in the Game!’

Enter Now - How to Register