On a quiet Monday morning in Kiama, Tony Panecasio sits basking in the warm autumn sun outside The Hungry Monkey. He says it is hard to imagine that it was not too long ago that he and the Australian over-60s cricket squad won their first-ever World Cup title in a scorching hot Chennai, India.“We’ve been back for two months. But it feels like ages ago,” he says.Veterans Cricket Australia will present the team with medals at the National Championships in Brisbane this November. Panecasio also received a trophy for the best bowling. At the moment, it is standing next to the TV. “We have to figure out what to do with it,” he notes, with a big smile.“I ended up being lucky enough to get the most wickets. It was a good two weeks.”It definitely was, and all began with one phone call.Out of the blueOne evening last November, he received a phone call. The person’s name did not come up, and Panecasion says that he normally does not answer unknown calls, instead letting them go to voicemail. But for some reason, he answered this call.On the other line was one of the Australian cricket selectors, Eric Higgins.“I couldn’t believe it at first … ‘Sorry, who are you after?’ He said, ‘You’ve been picked in the Australian team.’ Really? So, it was a nice surprise,” Panecasio recalls.But after landing a spot on the Australian over-60s cricket team, he didn’t pop the champagne quite yet. He wanted to wait and tell his wife Tracy, who was still at work.“She sort of went, ‘Oh - hiya.’ We had, not really a celebration, but just a sit down. I went to her, ‘OK - you gotta come over.’”Tracy came over for the last week of the tournament.The rest of Panecasio’s family watched his World Cup adventures unfold on TV.The Australian over-60s cricket team. Photo credit: Tony Panecasio.The fittest teamCompetition aside, the weather brought its own challenges during the 15-day tournament. The temperature in Chennai, the capital of India’s most southern state Tamil Nadu, averaged between 30 to 32 degrees Celsius. It is the kind of heat that normally would not phase an Australian cricketer. However, adding high humidity to the mix, the team had to make sure they did not end up being dehydrated.That said, they were well prepared.“Even though we're all 60 and over, we were the fittest team there,” explains Panecasio.All the selected players had been given a program to follow, after going through physio. They had three months to get ready.“Everybody really understood that it was going to be challenging,” Panecasio says. Yet, every team member put in the hard work, and it paid off.“At the end of the two weeks, teams who were good at the beginning, you could physically see they deteriorated as the two weeks went on. Whereas we maintained pretty well,”  he explains. At which point the coffees arrive, a cappuccino for Panecasio.Game planAfter beating New Zealand in the semi-final, Australia’s long-time rival England awaited in the final. They were the undefeated favourite with no losses, while Australia had lost one game. (Adding to insult, Australia went to England last year and got beaten 3-2).Albeit being the underdog, they had put a great game plan in place.“Our captain and vice-captain, they had a couple of guys who were really big hitters and could smash the ball really well. Rather than letting them get fours or sixes, they put the field back where they would hit. And they only got one the whole time,” Panecasio says. “Whereas against all the other teams, there was one guy (his name is Montie Douglas) and he scored 100s in a row in a game but he was scoring them really quickly. He still made 50 against us in the final, but in the double amount of time and they got frustrated.“In the end, because they thought they would dominate, they panicked a little bit and we fielded and bowled really well,” Panecasio summarises.The final score: England 9/214 and Australia 2/215.The English were a bit shocked. The British High Commissioner who presented the trophy at the end of the final joked that he wasn’t happy presenting it to the Australians.Luckily perhaps, both teams had donned their finest for dinner at the British Deputy High Commission (the club dates back to 1858) before the final.Tony Panecasio in action. Photo credit: Tony Panecasio. “It’s a religion to them. It’s amazing”Everywhere the team went, there was either a cricket ground waiting to be played on or a cricket game going on. Pure cricket paradise.During a practice game ahead of the World Cup, an Indian umpire refereed. Standing next to him, Panecasio asked, “What do you do as a job?” The umpire looked at him and said, “What do you mean?” Paencasio rephrased his question. “So, what’s your normal job?” “I’m a cricket umpire,” he replied. “He does it six days a week,” Panecasio says, impressed.The team had brought spare gear with them, bats and bowls, which they gave out at some of the kids’ games. “They thought that was really cool,” he says.When going to the markets, the team would be surrounded by people who wanted to take a selfie with them. “It’s a religion for them. It’s amazing,” Panecasio reflects.“It’s one thing that really unites them. We actually ended up having a half hour conversation with one guy because he just kept asking questions such as when we play and what it’s like to play in Australia. They had a real interest.” More serious as he got olderAs to whether Panecasio has been playing cricket for a long time, he laughs good-heartedly. Originally from Sydney, he’s lived in Kiama for the last 30 years. Panecasio was the coach when his son Matthew played juniors for Kiama. Panecasio played with Lake Illawarra, and then joined Southern Highlands when he retired from grade cricket.They won the State Cup for over 60s. After winning, Panecasio got picked for the New South Wales (NSW) team. Then, six players from the NSW team got chosen for the Australian national cricket team.“You’d like to go as well as you can always, and represent. But I didn’t think anything like that was on the cards. There’s no way if you’d told me 12 months ago that I thought I’d be playing cricket in India,” he says.But, there is more. At the upcoming State Cup in October, Panecasion will captain the first-ever over 60s team, representing the region.The bowling trophy. Photo credit: Tony Panecasio.

This week, the French Open went underway. Next is Wimbledon in July, and the US Open, the last Grand Slam of the year, takes place from the end of August to the beginning of September.But wait, there’s more to experience in this year’s tennis calendar. The sixth edition of the Kiama Senior Tournament, part of Tennis Seniors Australia’s annual tournaments, is set for 8-10 November.It's a round-robin tournament open to men and women, from ages 30 and above (with no upper limit), held at the artificial grass courts at the Kiama Tennis Club (KTC) on Noorinan Street and Blowhole Point as well as down in Jamberoo (if there’s a big entry). “Which we’ve done three out of the six years,” says David Lehman, president of the Kiama Tennis Club.The tournament features the following events: men’s and ladies’ singles, men’s and ladies’ age doubles, combined age men’s, ladies mixed doubles and age mixed doubles. The highest age grouping is 75+. Last year, the oldest players were Bob Morgan (life member and former KTC president) and Colin Elliott, both in their 80s.“We get a few people from ACT. The odd person comes down from Queensland but mainly it’s people from New South Wales,” Lehman says.On average, 160 people enter each year.“I’m hopeful that we’ll get more entries. My ideal is 200, which would make a great tournament. And, another one to two sponsors.”Their main sponsors are ANZ and BIG4 Easts Beach Kiama Caravan Park, who have supported the tournament since Day 1, he underlines. Lehman also highlights all the volunteers who step forward to run the canteen during the tournament, making sure that players and spectators are being well fed.The program looks as follows:Friday: Men’s and ladies’ singles.Saturday morning: Men’s and ladies’ doubles. Saturday afternoon: Combined and mixed age. After the games, there’ll be a social event with food and drinks.Sunday morning: Combined men’s and women’s doubles. Sunday afternoon: Mixed doubles men and women.The most popular events are the combined and mixed doubles along with the men’s doubles, according to Lehman. “Because it’s also daylight savings, it means that we can play until 6 o’clock,” he says. There’ll be prize money to the winners and the runners-up, and throughout the tournament weekend, the club will run a raffle.“At the core, it’s the entries and sponsors who make it viable. This year, we’re looking forward to even more social interaction and fun,” says Leham.Mark your calendars as the entry form will go up online in June on Kiama Tennis Club and Tennis Seniors NSW.Anyone with tournament enquiries is welcome to call David Lehman at: 0475 857 740.

KIAMA JFCUNDER 8 MIXED COMPETITIONKIAMA COMETS BLACK VS LAKESIDE LIONS WHITE

KIAMA JFC UNDER 9 GIRLS COMPETITIONKIAMA COMETS PINK VS KIAMA COMETS RED

KIAMA JFCUNDER 8 MIXED COMPETITIONKIAMA COMETS ORANGE 8 d KIAMA COMETS BLUE 0

KIAMA JFCUNDER 11 GIRLS COMPETITIONKIAMA COMETS BLUE 6 d GERRINGONG BREAKERS BLUE 0

KIAMA JFCUNDER 10 MIXED COMPETITIONKIAMA COMETS BLUE 5 d GERRINGONG BREAKERS 1

KIAMA JFC UNDER 6PINK VS RED

KIAMA JFC UNDER 6GREEN VS BLACK

What a multi-sensory adventure unfolded for our intrepid local dragon boat paddlers Ann Bolton, Heather McAlpine, Ann Harrison and Julie Campbell.Dragons Downunder competing in the Venice Vogalonga. Photo credit: Heather McAlpine.There were chaotic scenes as over 2,000 non-motorised craft, including traditional Venetian rowing boats, racing skulls, kayaks, gondolas, stand-up paddlers and our Dragons Downunder team lined up. There was argy-bargy and jockeying for position as we awaited the starter's cannon. The number of different countries represented proved that 'colourful language ' had the same multilingual impact across all cultures. There were also near misses, and some boats capsized. But amidst all this was a palpable sense of shared enthusiasm and life celebration. Finally, the cannon boom echoed across the Venice lagoon entrance, and the event could begin.Carnival atmosphere. Photo credit: Heather McAlpine.The field spread out as we made our way across the lagoon, around the island of Burano and through the central canal of Murano. By now, the hard work of paddling through the exposed open water kicked in as well as the side effects of trying to keep hydrated, so we had a quick pit stop on a deserted island…Thirty-three kilometres later, the highlight was the final push to the finish line through the Grand Canal and under the Rialto Bridge. There were cheers from the crowds hugging the canal edges and every bridge; locals banging saucepans from top floor balconies and the customary "Aussie, Aussie" chant from random Australian tourists as we passed them by.The Venice Vogalonga 2024 poster. Photo credit: Heather McAlpine.As we wound down while returning our hired dragon boat (which answers the most common question we were asked prior to leaving, "Do you put the dragon boat down the aisle on the plane?"), we reflected on the camaraderie that we had formed as 20 paddlers representing different clubs from the Illawarra, Moruya, Narooma and Jindabyne.There was a sense of pride in waving the Aussie flag through our five-hour journey, and a yearning for an appropriate limoncello celebration. Salute!Written by Heather McAlpine.

On this particularly gorgeous Sunday (26 May), more than 60 people chose pickleball over sunshine as they gathered at the Kiama Leisure Centre for an open trial day.“It’s been good,” says ten-year-old Keyur Kathard, who was one of the first players to hit the court shortly after 11:00am. He started playing pickleball last year, and plays regularly on Friday evenings in Shellharbour. “The smashing, when you get a smash in,” is the best part about pickleball, he says.His partner during the first game, Debra Neden-Masters from Albion Park, hasn’t played a lot, which is why she picked the beginner/intermediate session. “Great! For a person my age, it’s an easy exercise. It’s not a tennis court,” she says while taking a breather off the court. “Still get the sweat as you can see,” Neden-Masters continues, sporting a healthy glow.Wayne Lee, managing director of Pickleball Promotions, got into the game while living in the United States (where pickleball originates from). He ran a pickleball club in Las Vegas, and when returning to Australia during the pandemic, Lee opened a club in Sydney.The Pickleball New South Wales now sends him all over the state to set up new pickleball venues, which is why he finds himself in Kiama after Paul Summerside contacted the association.Wayne Lee shows the two essentials needed when playing pickleball.“There are three things about pickleball that makes it very attractive: it’s a very easy game to learn, you can play the game either indoors or outdoors, you can set up a court and be playing within five minutes,” he says.“It’s very socially interactive, and it’s very good for reflexes, health and fitness.”When more and more people trickle in, eager to have a hit, the coaches rotate them between the six pickleball courts (normally used for badminton), with four players on each. The courts are actually the same size as badminton courts, the only difference being that the “kitchen,” the non-volley zone, is five centimeters shorter. “Equipment-wise, you need a pair of sandshoes, water and a $54-paddle,” says Lee.Plus a ball, of course. They come in different colours: white, yellow, green and lime green. For the trial day, white balls are used as they’re easy to see against the dark floorboards.When trying pickleball for the first time, players are encouraged to get a feel for the ball, which is light, as is the paddle, i.e. the racket. “Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in Australia,” Lee underscores. “Traditionally, it was a sport for a certain age and demographic but now the sport is being introduced to schools.” “Anybody over the age of ten to the age of 80 can play pickleball. There are tournaments being held all over Australia on a regular basis.”As for Debra Neden-Masters, will she begin playing regularly? She’s only got one answer: “Most definitely.”

KIAMA SENIOR BASKETBALLMEN'S COMPETITIONWOBBEGONGS 45 d FORTUNATE SUNS 41

KIAMA SENIOR BASKETBALLMEN'S COMPETITIONSURF CAMP SPURS 47 d TWIN PEAKS 31

KIAMA SENIOR BASKETBALLMEN'S COMPETITIONCRONINS LIQUOR 46 d LAND TO SAND HEAT 31

KIAMA SENIOR BASKETBALLWOMEN'S COMPETITIONTIMMS ROOFING 35 d PHOENIX 18

KIAMA SENIOR BASKETBALL MEN'S COMPETITIONAVCON 43 d BRICK LAYERS 40

KIAMA SENIOR BASKETBALLWOMEN'S COMPETITIONAIR BALLERS 29 d WILDCATS 22

There were 12 girls and 13 boys, between the ages of four and 10, trying Tee Ball at the Gainsborough Oval in Kiama Downs on Sunday, May 19. Tee Ball time at the Gainsborough Oval. Photo credit: Kristine Davis.Despite a little bit of mud, the sun shone for us as we introduced the kids to throwing, catching and hitting off a tee for the first 30 minutes. Following the activities, we played an all-ages game of Tee Ball. The adults accompanying the kids were offered cornhole in the carpark to help pass the time, which was well received.Each week, we've decided to offer two games of Tee Ball to cater to the age differences of the children. A game for children aged 3 to 6 with registration costs of $24 for the season. And a game for the older kids aged 7 to 12 cost $46 for the season. Each Sunday, all the children will complete a range of activities together that allow for skill development starting at 9:30am. The two different aged games will be played at the same time, starting at 10:00am.

GROUP 7 - 1ST GRADEALBION PARK 30 d JAMBEROO SUPEROOS 8