Khaled Younis

Hall of Fame

Khaled Younis
Inducted: 2022

During the late 70s while still a teenager, Khaled Younis started playing croquet at Zamalek, a club known for its strong croquet traditions. Khaled has always been a gifted athlete. Before croquet, he was considered one of Egypt’s top young field hockey players. He excelled in football, table tennis, snooker among many other games. In croquet, Khaled found his life passion.

As soon as he made the first team of Zamalek Club, it became clear that the sky was the limit for his talent. Practicing and competing against to Egyptian players, Khaled’s game showed strength with unmatched grace and elegance. His fine touch allowed him to adopt a playing style that was a mix of power and finesse. It did not take long before Khaled started to garner national championships in singles, doubles, mixed doubles and club league. In league competitions, Khaled’s calm demeanor and superior tactics earned him the status of the top mixed doubles specialist.

When the WCF Golf Croquet World Championships started, Khaled was the champion of the inaugural event in 1996 in Italy. He won the title again in 1998 and 2002 to hold the record of 3 single open GC World Championships. (A record that is still standing for 20 years at the time these words are written in July 2022)

Competing at the international level allowed the world to see Khaled as a true ambassador of the game and a master who showcased his talent with grace and class.

In 2005, recognizing Khaled’s mastery of the game, the Egyptian Croquet Federation appointed him as the national head coach/technical manager. In 2011, a serious car accident that resulted in a hip fracture prevented Khaled from competing in the World Championship that was held in London. He still travelled with the team and performed his duties coaching the Egyptian team, while wheelchair-bound. After his full recovery, Khaled decided to retire from competitive croquet and dedicate his time to coaching the Egyptian teams. During his tenure, Egypt won the Team World Championship and a few of the Egyptian players he coached won open, women’s and under 21 world titles.

Khaled was one of the first players in Egypt to take on the role of a “coach” professionally with Shooting Club and later with Shams Club. In 2020, he was recruited to start a croquet academy for the newly built croquet facility at the Air Force Club. Everywhere Khaled went, a culture of winning was established. Khaled’s accomplishments in croquet go beyond the championships he won individually or as a technical manager. He is one of the most beloved and respected figures in the game in Egypt and internationally.

In addition to participating in world events, Khaled played an integral role in promoting Golf Croquet internationally. In 1999, he traveled with a group of Egyptian players to Los Angeles California, USA and competed in the Beverly Hills International, the first international GC event in North America. This event is considered the birth of GC in America. Khaled won the event. He returned to America twice; in 2000 to win the US GC national championship in Palm Beach, Florida and in 2002 to win his 3rd world title at the National Croquet Center in Palm Beach Florida. His world championship final game against Salah Hassan in 2002 will remain as one of the top tactical GC world finals to have been played. These 3 US events planted the seed for GC in America. Khaled’s work on promoting the game internationally was not limited to the United States. He was invited to conduct Golf Croquet clinics at the Ripon Spa Hotel in Yorkshire, England.
Furthermore, in his current work at the Air Force Croquet Academy, Khaled is breaking barriers and opening the doors to everyone including individuals with special needs and young children. A great reminder that our game is better when it becomes more about lifting spirits than lifting trophies.

Geoff Young

Hall of Fame

Geoff Young
Inducted: 2022

Geoff has been a dedicated servant to the game of croquet for almost 40 years.  His contributions to croquet administration at all levels, from club through to the World Croquet Federation, makes Geoff an excellent candidate for induction into the World Croquet Federation Hall of Fame.

Overview:
Geoff’s “croquet life” began in 1984 when he joined Morrinsville Croquet Club in Thames Valley, his club to this day.  Since then, his love of the game and desire to ensure that the game is well run and accessible for everyone have led to countless hours of volunteering through to this day.

Club:
Since joining Morrinsville Croquet Club, Geoff spent ten years as the club treasurer.  Geoff has had a positive influence in his club.  He has encouraged players to do their best.  He is also one who doesn’t hesitate to help when needed.

Association:
For the Thames Valley Croquet Association, Geoff has held almost every position available at some point in time.  He has served as President, Treasurer, Handicapper, Referee, Examining Referee, Selector, Event co-ordinator and delegate to CNZ AGM’s.

However, Geoff’s legacy with the Association stretches beyond simply holding positions and making sure everything is ‘ticking-over’.  Through Geoff’s dedication and hard work, The Midland League was established in 2006.  This League is an interclub competition contested by 24 teams from Thames Valley and Waikato-King Country Clubs (originally including Bay of Plenty as well).

Wanting to provide more competition for the Northern Region, Geoff was instrumental in setting up the UNITE competition which has been a strong competition for more than 20 years with all the association clubs participating.

National:
Having contributed enormously to the local game in Thames Valley, Geoff’s first taste of National administration came in 1989 when he was co-opted onto the CNZ Finance Committee, a position he held until 1994.

Geoff was elected as a Councillor on Croquet New Zealand’s Executive in 1993, which he served for the maximum term until 1997.  Still wanting to contribute to the furtherment of Croquet New Zealand, Geoff served one term as President from 1997 to 1999.

Geoff was a part of the inaugural GC Selection Panel and is currently on the CNZ Laws Committee.

Additionally, Geoff has managed countless National tournaments.

Geoff was made a Life Member of Croquet New Zealand in October 2019.

International:
In 2015, Geoff was elected to the World Croquet Federation’s Management Committee where he served his three-year term.  Upon completion of this initial term, Geoff was re-elected in November 2017 to serve another term after which Geoff stepped down.

Because of Geoff’s years of managing national tournaments, he was selected to manage four World Championships with the most recent being the Women’s Golf Croquet World Championship in February 2019 held in New Zealand.

Geoff Young has given to the croquet community for more than 35 years and taken leadership roles at all levels to help improve the sport.  He continues to contribute to croquet and is always willing to help when needed.

Joe Hogan

Hall of Fame

Joe Hogan
Inducted: 2022

Joe came to croquet along with a group of teenagers in the Gisborne area in the 1970s. Gisborne was a fertile seedbed for young people to take up and develop in the game of croquet. Joe Hogan was surrounded by people who enjoyed their croquet at different levels and abilities. Playing croquet was fun. The group was tutored and encouraged in the sport by Mr and Mrs R A Clarke, parents of Richard and Judith, who all played at the Barry Memorial Croquet Club. The BMCC club members made for a positive place for the younger ones to feel welcome and accepted. These young players achieved various levels of local and national success in the 1970’s before choosing to take up other activities. Judith Clarke won the NZ Womens at the age of 16, Ross Smith won the NZ Levels Singles and, with Paul Stuart, took out the NZ Levels doubles, and Peter Adsett won the NZ Mens Singles after only playing Croquet for just over 2 years, having to beat John Prince on the way through. Joe Hogan and Richard Clarke, along with other BMCC and Gisborne Croquet Club players, Allen and Cliff Anderson reached the dizzy standards asked for being a member of the MacRobertson Shield team. Cliff Anderson captained New Zealand’s 1974 Mac Robertson Shield team in which his son, Allen, was also a member . In 1974 Allen was runner up to Nigel Aspinall in the British Open Singles. Richard Clarke played for New Zealand in 1982 but has since moved on to playing and coaching Hockey.

During the late 1970s and 1980s Joe was a major force to be reckoned with on the lawn and vied with Bob Jackson, in 1986 and 1988 and then with Robert Fulford in 1990 to win his three Open Singles titles.  On the other side of the world, he won the British Open Singles, beating Bob Jackson for the title in 1986 and Mark Avery in 1989, the year he also won the British Open doubles partnering Bob Jackson.

In February 1990, he won the World Croquet Federation Championships Singles, the British and New Zealand open singles, the British and New Zealand open doubles titles (both of the latter with Bob Jackson), the NZ Men’s and Mixed Doubles titles and was widely regarded as the best player in the world. He partnered Bob to win 9 NZ Doubles Championships between 1979 and 1990 and also won the title with Aaron Westerby in 1991.

Joe became a builder but was then destined for the priesthood, training towards that vocation while playing croquet at national and international level.  He was ordained but found the monastic life was not for him and he chose to leave the priesthood and return to carpentry.  In 1991-92 Joe met and married Robyn MacKenzie and they have three children – Sam, Mary and Matthew.  Joe developed his building skills into a qualified teaching career, spending 12 years at a college and the Technical Institute in Gisborne  In 2015 he returned to building.

Joe has chosen to concentrate on his family in recent years but he does come forward at times with little practice but much success.  When the WCF Association Croquet World Championships were held in New Zealand for the first time, in Wellington in 2002, Joe entered the qualification tournament and was successful in gaining entry to the Championship.  He then qualified from his block, and defeated the World number 3 in straight games in the knock-out before losing in the last 16 to Ronan McInerney of Ireland.  Joe qualified for consideration for the MacRobertson Shield team in 2010.  He won the Heenan Plate in 2013 on the occasion of the centenary of the Open Championships in Christchurch, the only time since he began competing in 1978 that he had qualified to play in the Plate.

In 2017, he once again played in the MacRobertson Shield, 38 years after his debut in the event, providing the crucial win to beat the USA 11-10 in a doubles match with partner Chris Shilling that needed three days to complete. Playing with his old wooden 9 inch mallet, he was able to play extreme stop shots that were the envy of modern players.

Joe wishes to acknowledge with gratitude the many people who have influenced his game over the years.  Two in particular stand out for him: first, the ever-consistent Bob Jackson, who he had to either get past or partner to achieve title successes.  Secondly, in terms of the attitude and tactics to be used in Test Matches, Roger Murfitt of Christchurch.  Roger and Joe successfully held the number 3 test doubles combination for NZ in the 1979, ’82, ’86 and the beginning of the 1990 MacRobertson Test series.  Joe considers Roger has one of the best tactical minds for Test croquet.

List of Achievements:
MacRobertson Shield Team 1979, 1982, 1986, 1990, 2017
1989 World Croquet Federation World Champion (Inaugural event)
Trans-Tasman Open Croquet Test 1994
NZ Representative Matches : 1982 – Australia & England, 1986     England
1986 The Croquet Association (CA) (England) Silver Medal
The CA (England) Open Champion  1986, 1989
The CA (England) Open Championship Doubles with R V Jackson  1989
NZ Open Champion 1986, 1988, 1990,
Runner-up 1978-79, 1985, 1991
Heenan Plate 2013
NZ Men’s Champion 1981 1989, 1990, 1991
NZ Championship Doubles: 1979-82 with R V Jackson, 1985 – 88 with R V Jackson, 1990 with R V Jackson, 1991 with A Westerby
NZ Mixed Doubles: 1990 with Miss D Cornelius (England), North Island Open Champion 1976, 1981, 1982, North Island Men’s Champion 1982
North Island Open Doubles: 1982 with R Duncan, South Island Open Champion 1985, 1986
South Island Men’s Champion 1984, 1985
South Island Open Doubles: 1985-86 with R J Murfitt

Chris Clarke presents Joe Hogan with his Hall of Fame certificate