Age doesn't Matter

Generally, you have seen that almost all sports have a retirement age [ it is between 35-40 ] after which they can discontinue that sports. But what if I say there is a Japanese sport that can be played by anyone regardless of age or gender! Its name is Gateball which is a mallet team sport inspired by croquet. It is a fast-paced, non-contact, highly strategic team game. Gateball was invented in Japan by Suzuki Kazunobu in 1947. At the time of severe shortage of rubber which is used in making sports balls Suzuki, a lumber industry worker realized there was a ready supply of the wood used to make croquet balls. Gateball first became popular in the late 1950s when a physical education instructor introduced it in women's societies and senior citizens' clubs of Kumamoto City. Gateball is played between two teams of up to five people on a rectangular field 15–20 meters long and 20-25 wide. The teams use five balls each, either red or white, and play in an alternating fashion between red and white the balls are numbered from 1 to 10. And in 2001, Gateball was included as an exhibition event at the 6th World Games. The competition was held in Akita Prefecture in Japan and was attended by teams from China, Japan, South Korea, the USA, and Chinese Taipei. So, next time on your vacation tries to play this game with your grandparents and other family members.