Earlier this month, the Hawai‘i State Senior Tournament held its 50th edition at Patsy T. Mink Central O‘ahu Regional Park.
More than 65 teams from O‘ahu, Kaua‘i, Maui and the Big Island made up the field of over 900 players, the vast majority of whom were over 60 years old, though a provision allowed a limited amount of players aged 55 and older the opportunity to play on certain teams. A division for players aged 70 and older also debuted in the 2026 tournament. Organizers of the tournament also took the time to recognize players aged 80 and older.
"They're all pretty active," Senior Softball USA Hawai‘i regional director Jeffrey Kimoto told Aloha State Daily of the players who took the field in the Hawai‘i State Senior Tournament. "That's what kind of keeps them going. They're still active and they're enjoying the game. They're enjoying the friends that they're with and they play on the same team for many years. It's the camaraderie."
Despite the logistical challenges of hosting thousands of people when accounting for players, officials, and spectators, the tournament was viewed as a success.
"What really helps us in these tournaments is the City and County is really great with us helping us run the tournament," said Donald Meinel, who was the commissioner of USA Softball for 33 years. "We really appreciate the city government helping us out."
Kimoto and Meinel both played in the tournament, which aimed to honor the legacy of the Hawai‘i Kūpuna Softball League, which was established in the fall of 1974.
"It was busy. We had a lot of teams out there. For that big of a turn, everything was really smooth," Meinel said. "We had a couple injuries, but besides that, everything was really good. All the teams really had fun, and that's the main thing, you know?"
Future tournaments are planned on a rotational basis. The 2027 tournament is tentatively set to take place in Maui, then 2028 in Kona, 2029 on Kaua‘i, before returning to O‘ahu in 2030.
Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.
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