THERE’S a ball game that’s putting the Mornington Peninsula on the national sports map.
For the first time the Pétanque Federation of Australia held its interstate championships on the peninsula last weekend, drawing players from all over the country to Mount Martha.
Victoria won the 60+ Inter State Pétanque Championships, beating the ACT, Western Australia, South Australia, NSW and Tasmania. Victoria came second in the Open Inter State Pétanque Championships, with three members of Mount Martha Pétanque Club playing.
The Mount Martha Pétanque Club has only been operating for two years but was built to international standards complete with a sophisticated lighting system.
Club member Sue Barrin said Mount Martha had about 70 members and was one of just three clubs of that size in the state.
“It was pretty exciting for us to get the interstate championships here, especially since we are such a young club. It was a fantastic weekend,” she said.
Barrin said the popularity of the sport was growing, as it was suitable for all ages and a fun, social sport.
Pétanque is a boules sport that falls into the same category as raffa, bocce, boule lyonnaise, lawn bowls, and crown green bowling. In all of these sports, players or teams play their boules or balls towards a target ball.
