Golf Croquet World Championship kicks off in Cairo

[<<] [>>] by Bill Arliss at Cairo
21st October 2000 (International)

The fourth Golf Croquet World Championship was opened at 5.00pm last night at the Gezira Sporting Club in Cairo by Ahmed Hamroush, President of the Egyptian Croquet Association. The Opening Ceremony which was watched by about 1000 spectators plus TV and the press was quite spectacular with the 14 competing countries parading round the number one lawn behind their national flag.

After the opening speech by Ahmed Hamrouch, and a few words from Tony Hall, the WCF President, the first round matches got under and continued until nearly 9.00pm. under strong floodlighting, a new experience for many of the English team. All initial play is in eight blocks of six players with the first in each block going directly into the last 16 knockout. The remaining eight places are decided by a further block play-off between the second and third placed players in the initial blocks.

England has a nine-strong team at the Championships comprising Stephen Mulliner, John Moore, Derek Old, Chris Sheen, Ivor Brand, Bill Arliss, Richard Brand, Ken Mason and Don Beck