Support Barnet’s eldest and fittest at the Better Club Games

Nicknamed the UK’s festival of active ageing, this year’s Better Club Games will bring together 20 teams of over-60s at the Copper Box Arena in Stratford. Barnet athletes tell Leïla Davaud all about the event

A woman and a man playing table tennis — Olivia and Fred playing table tennis

A team of older athletes is representing Barnet at a major sporting event this week.

Launched in 2006, the Club Games are the “older people’s Olympics”, organised by Better leisure centres. The goal was to bring together local people aged 60 and over to represent their centres in a day of friendly competition and community spirit.

Two decades later, 20 teams from Greater London, the South East and the Midlands will come together to compete in a variety of sports and games, including badminton, darts, bowls, dominoes and table tennis, at the Copper Box Arena in Stratford.

While the main event is due to take place on Wednesday, 21st October, some competitions have already reached their finals, with Barnet stealing the spotlight!

At 63 years old, Kevin Ziants was part of the walking football team that lifted the trophy at the inter-borough tournament. He shares with the Post: “It could not have gone any better, as we won all our group games. I had nervy moments in the semi-final and final, but we ended up winning. Lifting the trophy as player and manager was a special moment!”

Kevin has been playing walking football for 11 years but only joined the team at Better’s Copthall leisure centre after retiring.

He said: “Four years ago, I was trusted as Barnet’s captain for the inter-borough games. The first year, we didn’t get through the group stage; the second year, we made the final and lost on the last kick of the game. This season, I joined as manager and was added as a player at the last minute, and we won. It was fantastic!”

His wife, Olivia, also used to play walking football but now focuses more on walking netball and table tennis at the Burnt Oak centre. She was selected to represent Barnet in the mixed doubles table tennis competition alongside Fred Spitz and will compete in the Better Club Games.

She says: “I am honoured to be representing Barnet, but I have modest ambitions.”

Fred Spitz is more confident. He adds: “It means so much to come back to the Copper Box Arena, now that I play with Olivia. She has tried so hard to up her game and has made such progress in very little time. It lifts me up to be able to compete at my age, and even more so with people who care as much as I do. We’re going to have a lot of fun!”

The Better Club Games will take place on Thursday 21st October from 10am to 4pm, at the Copper Box Arena in Stratford’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Entry costs £4.50, and visitors can take part in a range of activities, including badminton, table tennis, short mat bowls, timed cycling, short tennis, dominoes and darts.

For more information, visit www.better.org.uk/london/club-games.

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