Proteas play bowls with disadvantaged children

Children from disadvantaged backgrounds enjoyed a golden opportunity to bowl with Protea and Gauteng players.

Prince Neulonde and Victor Siphali mingled with youngsters from the Johannesburg Children’s Home, Soweto Youth Development Programme and Sables Bowling Association in between ends at Morningside Country Club on 3 August.

The energy was high at the event. Gasps, cheers, high-fives and all manner of encouragement rang out on the greens between the youngsters and South Africa’s best.

The Development Day event saw no winners but every bowl counted, and when Neulonde and Siphali sent a bowl or two awry, the youngsters got even more excited at the chance to beat them.

This event was part of Johannesburg Bowls Association’s Mandela Day initiative, which also saw Bata Shoes provide a pair of top-quality shoes to every child who participated.

“This is all about going forward, getting children on board with bowls, and showing our sponsors their return on investment,” said the association’s general manager, Lance Sayce.

He said sending teams overseas was expensive and so attracting sponsors to the sport was important.

“We also take the development of the sport very seriously. We have a programme here [at Morningside] where parents and children play with their teachers from school.”

Sayce encouraged families to visit their closest bowling club and try a lesson or two.

“Bowls is easy to play and we often find that the children who play it did not play other sports before, especially contact sports, but once they are confident at bowls they give other sports a chance too.”

Details: Morningside Country Club 011 803 1805; Johannesburg bowls Association info@jbabowls.co.za, 011 880 8000.

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https://www.citizen.co.za/sandton-chronicle/221612/bryanston-sports-club-takes-it-all-in-thrilling-final-match-of-the-bowls-season/

https://www.citizen.co.za/sandton-chronicle/232753/provinces-best-bowlers-come-to-bryanston-for-gauteng-open/