SPORT: Budding bowlers reared for success

Coming home with a bronze medal was a just reward for an outstanding performance.

April 15, 2018

Burnt End 1 minute read

Aspen Shaw (Newcastle) Nkanyiso Mbambo (Estcourt), Aiden Dedekind (Newcastle) and Michaela Smith (Empangeni) flank their coach from Bowls South Africa.

In an attempt to promote the game of bowls as a sport for all ages, Bowls South Africa hosts interprovincial tournaments on an annual basis.

These tournaments focus on the age groups Under-15, Under-19, Under-30 (where teams can be mixed gender), Open A/ B (any age but genders are separate) and Seniors – over the age of 60.

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Both the Open and Seniors tournaments took place in March, and last week was the turn of the U-15 and U-20 teams, with the tournaments held in Bloemfontein.

The KwaZulu-Natal Country Bowls (KZNCB) district was again well-represented with teams in both categories.

The U-15 team did exceptionally well, being the only unbeaten team in its section and thus qualifying for the semi-finals.

After its excellent run, the team was unfortunately beaten by Western Province.

However, coming home with a bronze medal was a just reward for an outstanding performance.

Newcastle was well-represented, with Aspen Shaw (Newcastle Bowling Club) skipping the team, ably assisted by Aiden Dedekind (Ncandu BC), Nkanyiso Mbambo (Estcourt BC) and Michaela Smith (Empangeni BC).

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Newcastle’s Jonathan Hartman and Marius Bouwer were selected for the U-20 team and although their teams did not finish in the medal berth, both players gained valuable experience in their first interprovincial competition.

In other news, Newcastle Bowling Club hosted its monthly FedAuto meat competition on Saturday.

Winning the main meat prize was the team of Samantha Shaw, Henk Zaal and Dyllen van Rensburg, with second prize going to Stephen Shaw, Aspen Shaw and Lyn Dowsett.

The Northern Zone Senior Fours takes place this weekend in Vryheid – good bowling to all.