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Club members new and old had worked hard to get the inaugural open tournament off the ground, and Oliver said the visiting teams appreciated the venue and the opportunity.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey love it,\u201d he said. \u201cThey\u2019ve just said how good it is to play here. It\u2019s a very ambient sort of a spot.\u201d<\/p>\n
Of the nearly 100 competitors, 33 – making up eight teams – were new to the sport and from Ballarat.<\/p>\n
While the local club was well represented, Oliver acknowledged that the out of towners were going to be hard to beat.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe chances of a local win are pretty grim,\u201d he said jokingly. \u201cWe\u2019ve got 32 teams and they get broken into three different divisions.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe team that is going to win are state champions.\u201d<\/p>\n
Next year the club will host two more open tournaments, with one set to go in February or March and the other in October or November.<\/p>\n
Oliver said new players were always welcome at the club and members played and trained at least three times a week at their Bradshaw Street home base.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe like to welcome as many people as we can to come and have a try,\u201d he said. \u201cA lot of people know about it, but they don\u2019t come and have a go.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got all the equipment to provide, without any obligation.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ABOUT a year after it was established, Ballarat Petanque Club has hosted its inaugural home tournament last weekend. Played on the club\u2019s home court, the converted upper green at Ballarat East Bowling Club, 96 petanque players from across the state took part on a wet and blustery Sunday. Club president and tournament participant Gordon Oliver […]<\/p>\n