Father and son team wins Witpoortjie men’s pairs club title

Donning the uniform of a club can imply a brotherly and sisterly bond, but true blood will always be thicker than water.

Witpoortjie Bowls Club held their 2021 club championship for nominated pairs, 23 and 24 January. Due to some members being extra cautious about possibly contracting the coronavirus, only roughly 80 per cent of the club’s members signed up for the two-day event. A total of 18 men would compete in their category, with 10 ladies making up their field.

The competitive yet good-spirited knockout showdowns on Saturday left four pairs standing for the Sunday morning finals. South African blind bowls legend, Tracey Smit and teammate Madelein Labuschagne would battle end to end with Elna Munro and Susan Luus. A tense back and forth would go down to the final ends with Elna and Susan edging out their opponents 22–20.

The weekend before was a starter for the main course, as the novices had their turns to warm up the greens. In the ladies section, Liezl Myburgh claimed top honours, beating teenager Amelia Diederiks. Tom de Jager won the men’s novice section by beating Amelia’s brother, Dylan, consigning the Diederiks family to two silver medals.

In the final of the men’s pairs category, Ian Taylor and Schalk Jacobs would be hoping to claim the scalp of a South African national team representative and his young district protégé. Wilson Malobolo is a Gauteng singles champion and for the first time would be competing with his 10-year-old son, Lerato. Wilson’s experience and calming influence would bring the best out of his son, with the pair opening up an early lead which they would maintain on their way to a 16–12 win.

The current health panic has seen Witpoortjie Bowls Club’s membership dwindle, having a knock-on effect on fundraising efforts and ultimately the club’s finances. However, through thick and thin, like adopted and chosen families alike, they will persevere together.