Barnet Over-60s Team Competes at Better Club Games

A team of athletes aged over 60 from Barnet will compete at the Better Club Games this week, an event organised by Better leisure centres. The games, which began in 2006, are referred to as the 'older people's Olympics' and aim to bring together individuals aged 60 and above for friendly competition and community engagement.

This year, 20 teams from across Greater London, the South East, and the Midlands will gather at the Copper Box Arena in Stratford. Competitions include badminton, darts, bowls, dominoes, and table tennis. While the main event is scheduled for Wednesday, 21st October, some preliminary rounds have already seen Barnet athletes achieve success.

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Walking Football Victory

Kevin Ziants, 63, was a member of the Barnet walking football team that secured victory in an inter-borough tournament. Ziants, who has played walking football for 11 years, joined the team at Better's Copthall leisure centre after retiring. He told the Barnet Post that winning the trophy as both player and manager was a 'special moment'.

He recounted his previous experiences representing Barnet, noting that the team had not progressed past the group stage in his first year and lost in the final in his second. This year's win, after joining as manager and then being added as a player, was described as 'fantastic'.

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Table Tennis Partnership

Olivia Ziants, Kevin's wife, who previously played walking football, will represent Barnet in the mixed doubles table tennis competition. She will partner with Fred Spitz. Olivia Ziants stated she was 'honoured to be representing Barnet' but expressed modest ambitions for the competition.

Fred Spitz conveyed more confidence, expressing his enthusiasm for competing again at the Copper Box Arena alongside Olivia. He highlighted Olivia's progress in table tennis and stated that competing at his age, especially with dedicated partners, was very meaningful. He anticipates they will 'have a lot of fun'.

The Better Club Games are scheduled to run from 10am to 4pm on Thursday, 21st October, at the Copper Box Arena in Stratford's Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Entry for visitors is priced at £4.50, with additional activities available, including timed cycling and short tennis.