Never too old to take to the cricket pitch
Bo Mativa is Proving that playing a sport you love isn’t just for the young ones.
Mativa [62] is a local cricket legend and personality and has joined the Senior Reserve grade for Taupo Cosmopolitan College Old Boys Cricket Club in the Rotorua-Taupo competition.
He arrived in Taupo in 1969 from the islands of Tokelau, and wasted no time in starting his cricketing career at Taupo Intermediate. It turned out to be a slightly different version of the island cricket game he was more used to on Kilikiti, where he played as a youngster.
His love of cricket in 1982 saw Mativa, along with brothers Pelehi and Puka, and his big hitting cousins, form the Taupo Tokelau club.
Starting out in the twilight competition, the Tokelau team went unbeaten for two seasons before a new Taupo B grade competition was established.
Mativa is a man of many talents. He was not only a player but a groundsman and umpire.
As a player Mativa’s longevity culminated in his call up to the Northern Districts over 60s team. Mativa is now playing his trade with the long established Taupo Cosmopolitan College Old Boys club.
‘‘As long as I’ve known Bo I have never heard a bad word come out of his mouth, on or off the field. Bo is a true gentleman’’, club president, Wayne Darlington, said.
Mativa still finds time to play Sunday cricket for his Taupo Trouts golden oldie team of which he has been a part of since 1994.
Mativa attributes one reason for his longevity in the game to his two new knees and back operation last year and in his words.
‘‘You’re never too old to play or do the things you love,’’ he said.