Bowls bug bites Amanzimtoti eight-year-old

A young bowler will soon be making a name for himself on local greens.

Eight-year-old Jaco Diedricks is currently undergoing coaching in the sport of bowls and will test out his newfound knowledge in a beginners’ competition at Amanzimtoti Bowling Club on Saturday, 10 February.

The grade 3 Amanzimtoti Primary School pupil first started throwing the odd-shaped bowl at the tender age of two or three but he has recently been coached by top bowler, Marietjie van den Bergh who represented Namibia at the 2017 African States Bowls Tournament.

“I started coaching Jaco in November and since then he has started to take bowls seriously,” she said. “He is naturally talented. The first thing I tried to do was to get him to stand still.”

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Jaco is Marietjie’s ‘pet project’ as part of her new coaches’ course. Each coach has to take a beginner under their wing and teach them the rules and disciplines of the sport to have them up to social bowls (tabs in) standard and ready to contest the 10 February competition. If they succeed, the new bowler is deemed ready for competitions.

Jaco, who grew up around the club, visiting with long-time member and grandfather Gustav Somers, has his own set of smaller carpet bowls, although two different pairs, which were found during a clean-up of the club and presented to him.

His young age is no deterrent for Marietjie. “There is an eight-year-old playing league in Namibia, where I’m from. Jaco has been doing well, even with the set of bowls he has. He is very competitive. I bowl with him when I’m coaching. I want to make it fun for him and keep him interested. He lives for his bowls,” she said.

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Jaco loves sport in general and participates in rugby, soccer, swimming, cricket and athletics but is quick to add that rugby is his favourite. “I just wanted to play bowls,” said the likeable youngster. “It gives me something to do when I’m not riding my bike at the club. I told my friends I play but they weren’t that interested.

I’m a bit nervous about the competition but I’m sure I will do well. I often play with my Aunty Heather and Oupa. I hope to beat them one day, although I don’t know when that will be.”