‘Pricey’ entry fees halt Masters entry

A retiree is ‘‘grossly disappointed’’ it will cost him hundreds of dollars to enter the World Masters Games competition this year, and says the expensive entry fee is not in the true spirit of the games.

Auckland will host the international competition in April, hosting 25,000 competitors from 93 countries.

Most of the Games’ events have age categories ranging from 30 to over 100-years-old, and its ethos is ‘sport for all’, the website claims.

But Marlborough man Adrian Landon-Lane, 67, said the minimum entry fee of $295 meant the Games were not ‘for all’ at all.

‘‘I thought, ‘you can’t be serious’. Half of us are superannuitants, and I’d say there are very few of us that can afford to pay hundreds of dollars just to enter one event,’’ LandonLane said.

‘‘I was grossly disappointed. I’ve been practising my shot put for months but no, I won’t be competing now.’’ It would cost Landon-Lane’s wife $145 to watch her husband compete.

Once travel, accommodation and other costs were considered, it made for an expensive trip, Landon-Lane said. ’’You have to ask, where is the money going? They’re just concerned about lining their pockets.’’

Of the Games’ 40 employees, 10 earned between $100,000 and $220,000 during 2016, its annual report revealed.

Games chief executive Jennah Wootten said the minimum cost of entry was roughly the same as previous events. The Sydney Games in 2009 cost NZ$280 to enter, and the Torino Games in 2013 cost NZ$270.

Entry fees went towards the overall budget of the Games, which was topped up by the Government, Auckland Tourism, Auckland Council, and commercial partners, Wootten said.

However, she would not comment on why the top-paid employees earned so much.

Wootten said the Games offered a ‘‘once-in-a-lifetime’’ opportunity for Kiwis to compete without having to travel overseas.

‘‘While there may be a few who struggle to afford the registration fees, we are on track to attract 25,000 participants which, combined with the general feedback we have had, indicates the market in New Zealand and overseas is comfortable with the cost of registration packages,’’ she said.