The Bowls South Africa (BSA) Masters Championship was held last week at the Wingate Park Bowls Club in the east of Pretoria.

The cream of South Africa’s bowlers travelled to Pretoria from all over the country for this three-day tournament, which are contested in six different categories. There were the men’s and women’s open divisions, the men’s and women’s veteran divisions and the exciting men’s and women’s divisions for under-30 players.

It was especially the outstanding performances of the younger local players that gave fans of the sport reason to believe that the future for bowls in the Pretoria area appeared to be rosy.

While the final for the gold and silver medals in the men’s under-30 category was decided between two local players from Bowls Gauteng North (BGN), another local under-30 player participated in the women’s open division and also reached the final.

Apart from the outstanding manner in which the tournament was presented at the Wingate Park Bowls Club, members of this club also had more reason to be proud, as all three of the top achievers in the colours of BGN are also members of this club.

In the men’s under-30 division, Wingate Park Bowls Club’s Cecil Bornman and his friend, Ernst Wagner, faced each other in the final for the gold medal.

After a tough battle, Bornman finally emerged victorious, while Wagner was able to go home with the silver medal. With this victory, Bornman improved on his bronze medal in last year’s national Masters Tournament, while Wagner won silver for the second year in a row.

Marizellé Rousseau, another one of the young stars of BGN, showed her mettle as an under-30 player in the open women’s division. The 2023 Junior Masters champion faced the experienced Esmé Kruger from Eden Bowls in the Southern Cape in the final of this division.

Although Kruger won the final, the young Rousseau can be very proud of her silver medal.

In the men’s and women’s veterans divisions, BGN won two bronze medals.

Sue Tarr of the Harlequins club, the reigning Gauteng Open singles champion and last year’s women’s veterans gold medal winner at the SA Masters, won the bronze medal this year.

In the men’s veterans division, Francois Koen of CBC Old Boys, who was also crowned Masters Champion last year, won the bronze medal this time. Koen is a former African States champion (2017) and also the reigning BGN singles champion.

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