Times of Oman
January 24, 2014

Croquet Morning, the Women’s Guild in Oman’s annual event held on the lawns of the British Ambassador’s residence on Tuesday, showcased the classic UK game and some bizarre hats that reminded one of race enthusiasts at Royal Ascot.

The metal hoops are in place on the green awaiting the lovely ladies to push the wooden balls through with their mallets. The sweet voices and pleasant laughter have already warmed up the lawns and the air has thickened with a competitive spirit. Though a bit chiller than usual, the ambience is almost perfect for another croquet morning, the annual event of the Women’s Guild in Oman (WGO) at the British Ambassador’s residence.

The turnout, too, proved the windy weather wouldn’t suffice to play spoilsport. They were around 75 of them, attired in colourful costumes and some wearing wonderful hats striking a chord with the Ladies Day at the Royal Ascot, the famous racecourse in the UK. And, two coveted prizes awaited them, one for the winner of croquet competition and the other for the one who wore the best decorated hat.

It has been so for the past one decade and the month of January usually offered a perfect weather with bright and clear morning hours, says Sunaina Serna Ahluwalia, the WGO Publicity Coordinator. “The calendar of events is set like that and the ladies look forward to it. Besides, the British Ambassador’s residence with a beautiful lawn offers a great venue for the event. This event has grown popular over the years,” she asserts.

Interestingly, the 2014 croquet champion turned out to be one who picked up a mallet for the first time in her life. Advancing into the final round displaying great professionalism, Avis Pickering, who hails from Australia, finished way ahead of her final three rivals to secure a convincing victory. “This is the first time I am playing croquet. But I play a lot of golf and I think this game is the same as putting on a green,” she points out. Hardly aware of the game of croquet or its rules, she never expected to win, but attributes her clean run to her competitiveness which she gained through 10 years of playing golf.

Along with the croquet, the hat competition also grew popular among the WGO members, an opportunity for them to display their creativity. And for the last three years they have a good judge in Mohamed Al Riyami, a former employee in the office of the adviser to the Minister of Information, for whom croquet remains the favourite game which he learned while studying in the UK. “This is the third time I am here to decide the winner for best hat and this goes well with the game. Last year, the participation in the hat competition was huge, with almost everyone present, about 100 of them taking part,” he recalls.

Mohamed cannot help but disclose his Victorian taste while judging hats. “When I look at those hats in contention, I imagine how Queen Victoria would look at them. Many here are wearing modern and beautiful hats. But croquet is a classic English game and only classic costumes and hats can go with it,” he says.

Traditionally, the participating women wear hats which they design and create on their own. But at the WGO competition, the prize goes to the person wearing the best hat. “Nowadays, many contestants wear hats which they buy from shops and looking at them I can tell their originality. But here I just have to choose the best hat and no need to go around checking their origin,” Mohammed adds.

However, finally his Victorian taste proved to be the deciding factor and the prize went to the most deserving one. Wearing a true Victorian style headpiece, shredded and stuck on with butterflies and flowers, Martina Stevens from Ireland won the best hat competition. “I made this hat myself. I have been on the committee for the last 14 years and I have been taking part in this competition. This is the first time I have won,” she beams.

“This is WGO’s 40th anniversary and it’s a real milestone for any such organisation. The croquet morning is a one-of-its-kind event in the year, a huge draw every time,” says Sunaina. The WGO, in fact, has over 2000 members of 80 different nationalities. “But we generally restrict this event for a 100 people as we do not want to crowd the place,” she adds.