Molupi shines in Namibia
South Africa won gold medals in the men’s and women’s overall standings.
Last month in Namibia, Benoni Lake Bowling Club player and green keeper John Molupi was honoured to wear green and gold and represent SA at the African States Bowling Tournament.
Sporting his Protea colours and with his gold and silver medals around his neck during his interview with the Benoni City Times, Molupi said that his hard work was rewarded after patiently waiting for a national call-up for over 10 years.
“It was a big honour. I’ve achieved a lot in bowling. I should have been a Protea long ago, but I told myself my time would come,” he said.
Molupi was part of the men’s fours team that won a gold medal after narrowly beating Namibia 17-16 in the final to finish the competition undefeated.
He also won a silver medal in the men’s pairs and another gold as the overall tournament winner. The South Africans’ accuracy saw them clinch gold after placing first in the men’s and women’s overall standings.
“The competition was tough, but we managed to sneak in and win. It was a good experience,” said Molupi.
Ranked second in Ekurhuleni, Molupi started bowling in 2010 at the Springs Town Bowling Club, where he spent many hours on the green honing his skills. He would win many tournaments in the area and enjoy some success nationally.
“Before I started playing, I was employed to look after the greens. I would watch the games closely, learning until I became interested in the game. I won many accolades with the Springs Town Bowling Club and am grateful to them for their lessons,” he said.
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His coach, Denise Field, described Molupi as a dedicated and talented bowler who spends hours on the green improving his game.
“We did 10 sets of exercises every week, getting him ready for the national team. We trained mainly on Tuesdays and Wednesdays because of his job. On one Saturday morning, we spent five hours on the green training,” she said.
Field and Molupi’s friendship began more than 10 years ago when the bowler was still a novice. She hailed the 38-year-old for his tactical experience and commitment to the sport.
“He’s centred on what he wants to achieve.
“His next goal is to become a part of the gold squad. I have every confidence that in a year or two, that’s exactly what he will achieve,” said Field.
The Benoni Lake Bowling Club chairperson, Alasdair Finlay, said they were proud of Molupi’s achievement and thanked the club’s members for supporting the bowler during the tournament.
“We are proud of John’s achievement in Namibia. We sent him well wishes daily to support him as a club.
“Denise put in a tremendous amount of work coaching him and getting him up to speed with the game. We thank her for helping John and getting him up to that level of expertise,” he said.
