The Hidden Pastime of the Elderly: Gate Ball

Written by Namhee Cho, Researched by YoungJu Cho 

Ten men and women are on a field of dirt standing beside the sidelines waiting for their number to be called. When it is time, they enter the playing field and crouch and gaze at the target using their metal stick as a guide. They are playing neither golf nor lawn bowl. They are in fact playing a game of gate ball.

Gate ball is similar to croquet which is played with balls and a stick on a field of grass, artificial turf or dirt. There are no records of the official introduction of croquet to Korea however, it was introduced to Japan in 1880s. Not until post WWII that the sports was known to the public. In 1947, Suzuki Kazunobu from Hokkaido created the game by adopting and modifying croquet considering the environmental condition of the island in woods.

The game became popular soon after the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, when there was the “sports for all” boom throughout the Japanese archipelago. Not only the phenomenon but also the game’s easy and simple rules requiring relatively small amount of energy to play have attracted the elderly to the neighborhood fields.

It was first introduced to Korea in 1980s. Attempts to host the Asian Games and the Olympic Games in the 80s led to the development of the infrastructure of sports throughout Korea. At first, the gate ball clubs were established to provide more leisure for the elderly in the community. Since the establishment of the Union of Gate Ball Korea, the number of clubs around the country was dramatically increased and by 1998, gate ball was played regardless of age.

The players have 30 minutes to play and they are divided into two groups of five with own designated numbers in order. There are three gates worth a point each and a goal pole worth two points in the middle of the field of 20~25m (65~82in) by 15~20m (49~65in). The two teams have five white and five red balls weighed 230g (0.5 lb) in a diameter of 7.5cm (3 in) – the first attacking team normally takes the red – respectively for them to penetrate their balls into those gates and hit the pole to earn points. The ‘T’ sticks used for gate ball are not restricted in weight and material. However, the size of the head of the hammer-like stick should be between 18~24cm (7~9.5in).

The beauty of the game is the ‘Spark.’ Spark is a turn given to the player when he/she hits the other player’s ball. During the Spark, the player puts his/her ball right next to the opposition’s ball and step on both balls to put the opposition’s away with an impact by hitting his/her ball. Due to the special rule, it allows the players to come up with various strategies interrupting other players for their win.

Crowds of the elderly in their 60s and 70s visit Gwangju All-weather Gate Ball Field located right beside Sangmu Citizen’s Park in Seo-gu. “They come here for their well-being. Both mental and physical” said Lee Gyejeong, Secretary General of Gwangju Gate Ball Union. Currently, there are 800 members in 5 sub-associations in each districts of Gwangju Metropolitan City. “Not only the elderly come here and play, but also they meet and make friends on the field. We also have formed good teams to compete in national level” Lee said with confidence. “We have won more than nine national competitions so far including the National Gate Ball Union’s Competition, Competitions hosted by Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Korea Council of Sport for All.”

You may have wondered where all the elderly were in town but here they are, enjoying their new bonds of friendship created on the playing field. There are more than ten gate ball fields in the city and they are opened to everyone every day from morning till night.

Other than strolling around the park, spend time in district senior welfare centers and meeting new people in public bath, gate ball can also fit into the elderly’s weekly schedule. Senior citizens in Gwangju definitely have limitations upon their choice of leisure. Hence, this gentle sport surely contributes to the improvement of the welfare of the aged.