While the rest of us were dusting off the boots and reconnecting with teammates for the forthcoming season, a band of BDFC’s finest were already representing the club on the world stage and bringing some silverware.

Under the Balmain sans Grandeur (BSG) banner, a group from our 55+ men’s cohort travelled to Abu Dhabi last month for the 2026 Open Masters Games.

The Open Masters Games is one of the world’s premier multi-sport events for veteran athletes, attracting competitors from across Europe, Asia and Australia. For Balmain & District Football Club, it represents the continuation of a proud tradition of international participation stretching back more than a decade.

A Truly International Balmain Team

With a squad drawn from players from South Africa, the UK, Ireland, Hong Kong and Ukraine – reflecting the diverse BDFC community itself – Balmain sans Grandeur’s participation in the tournament continued the team’s long-standing tradition of following the globe-trotting Masters Games wherever they go.

Two solid wins and two unlucky losses (both by 1-2) were enough to bring home a silver medal in the 50+ age group at these International Masters Games.

BDFC Treasurer and Balmain sans Grandeur wrangler, Keith Irving, says that, as always, the real win was the experience, with new friendships made that will last well beyond the two-week tournament. “The Masters Games are all about bringing people together through sport, and they delivered that once again,” he says. “The boys even got the chance to meet a true great of the game, the Brazilian legend, Zico”.

From Nice to Mariupol to Sydney

The strongest demonstration that the Masters Games are about far more than sport is the deep connection forged between BDFC and Aleks Prykhno, from Ukraine.

Aleks first met the Balmain football community when his side faced BSG in the final of the 2015 European Masters Games in Nice. An accomplished goalkeeper, Aleks played for the Balmain team at the 2019 European Masters Games in Torino.

It wasn’t long after that that everything changed for Aleks and his hometown of Mariupol. “We lived 10km from the combat line and when the shelling began we learned about the beginning of the war,” he said. “The next day, residential areas were shelled and bombed”. Read Aleks’ full journey from Ukraine to the Inner West.

What’s Next for Balmain sans Grandeur?

BSG will be gearing up in November for the Pan Pacific Masters Games on the Gold Coast. After that, the focus will turn to the World Masters Games taking place in Kansai, Japan, in 2027 and the Open Masters Games returning in Lake Como, Italy. Balmain sans Grandeur will be assembling squads for both tournaments, with Aleks ready to make the journey from Europe to once again take his place in the truly international Balmain team!