Since moving to Osoyoos five years ago to retire, Paul Kinsman has spent a great deal of his free time playing tennis as a member of the Oliver Tennis Club. Kinsman was honoured with a special award for sportsmanship, goodwill and promoting the game of tennis by the club during a stop in the action during the sixth annual Oliver Tennis Club Mixed Doubles tournament this past Saturday. Kinsman plays five or six days a week, sometimes twice a day, from April or May until the club closes in late September or early October. (Keith Lacey photo)
With the sun shining throughout an absolutely gorgeous late summer day, there were a lot of smiling faces at the Oliver Tennis Club on Saturday morning, but nobody was smiling more than Paul Kinsman from Osoyoos.
That’s because Kinsman was awarded the Peter Perkins Memorial Award for sportsmanship, goodwill and promoting the game of tennis in this region.
A total of 16 teams participated in the sixth annual Oliver Tennis Club Mixed Doubles tournament on Saturday at the Oliver Tennis Club.
Perkins was a promoter of sports and recreation in Oliver for many years and was a founding member of the Oliver Tennis Club and his contribution to the sport are still being felt long after his death, said tournament co-ordinator Bob Grant.
Although he lives in Osoyoos, Kinsman has been a member of the Oliver Tennis Club for more than four years and joined the club a couple of months after moving to the South Okanagan to retire back in 2009.
“There is a great group of people who are members of this club and this is a truly fantastic facility,” said Kinsman, who will turn 73 in October. “I love tennis and I’ve spent an awful lot of time here over the past four years.
“I’ve been lucky enough to become good friends with a lot of the members and, like I said, this is an amazing facility and I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my retirement years than playing tennis here.”
To say Kinsman loves the game of tennis might be an understatement.
He often plays twice a day when the weather turns warm and usually plays five or six days a week from May until late September or early October when the club closes up for the winter months.
“I’m here quite a bit,” he said smiling. “Tennis is my motivation to get outside and do something and it has kept me in pretty good shape through the years.
“I never get tired of playing and I hope I have many more good years ahead of me.”
Tournament co-ordinator Grant said Kinsman is a very worthy recipient of the Perkins award as he is continually promoting the game and trying to recruit new members to the Oliver Tennis Club.
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
A total of 16 teams participated in the sixth annual Oliver Tennis Club Mixed Doubles tournament this past Saturday. Tennis players from Osoyoos, Oliver, Okanagan Falls, Penticton and Kelowna participated in the popular event. Above, Janet Shaw hits a nice shot towards her opponents during early round-robin action. (Keith Lacey photo)
