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Sponsors there for barefoot bowls
(The Citizen - March 10, 2006)
THERE may be some detractors of “barefoot” bowls but I have to tell them this new way of playing the game is gathering sponsors, more than can be said for the regulation game.
Late afternoon and evening bowls is interesting some of the companies the players come from and sponsorship is one of the exciting offshoots.
It all goes to prove that when you give potential bowlers something they can enjoy, and not lose any unnecessary sleep over, they will flock to the greens, and if there’s a bit of “lolly” on offer at the end of the day, all the better.
The barefoot aspirants are now becoming regulation shoe-wearing members of the clubs that have promoted the new game. The game is the beneficiary and the bright brains that dreamed up “barefoot” bowls will see their clubs grow even more from the exercise.
WE must think at this stage of the 12 South African bowlers who have assembled in Melbourne to do battle in the Commonwealth Games for their country. South Africa has a proud record, going back a long time, in the history of bowls at the Games and its forerunner, the Empire Games. We wish the present side the best of luck and have the hope they will again bring back medals.
CAN you imagine living with epilepsy for 30 years of your life, since the age of six? You are sometimes laughed at, ripped off and at times, you are very embarrassed, as you have no control of your body functions. This is all due to a trigger in your body that you have little control over. Even with medication, Lisa van Zyl of Bedfordview Bowls Club has lived like this and as a result has never thought of marrying, let alone having children. She lives with her father Willie, a locksmith by trade and a member of Bedfordview Bowls Club.
Lisa will undergo an operation soon, to insert a device by the celebrated surgeon Dr Shah at Milpark Hospital in Johannesburg. She will have a VNS device fitted. This Vagus Nerve Therapy Device is fitted into the body and is programmed to deliver electrical impulses 24 hours a day seven days a week. There is no pain or discomfort and clinical trials show it is a safe and effective method of controlling seizures. World wide there are more than 20 000 people who have experienced a new life. This operation will cost about R120 000.
Bedfordview Bowls Club is having a Lisa van Zyl day at the club on May 1 (a public holiday) to raise funds, as the family has no medical aid cover. The day will consist of fours (men, women or mixed), and is organized by Willie van Zyl, Errol Steyn, Derek Joseph, Darryl Matthews and others. Margaret Beyers of the club will administer the fund, under the auspices of ABSA. All donations will be acknowledged, and we appeal to all bowlers to assist the family.
Enter your team now, as only the first 26 teams will be accepted. The cost for the day is R500 per team, including tea, lunch and a great day of bowls for a very worthy cause. Lovely prizes can be won, as well as various raffle prizes.
Please contact Willie on 011 8241689 or on 0825500792 to enter your team.
POLOKWANE Bowls Club, formerly Pietersburg, are celebrating their 75th year and are looking for bowlers who used to be members of both Pietersburg and Mimosa Park clubs to invite them to a reunion weekend on May 13 and 14.
Contact Juanette Coetzer at (015) 295-2928 (telephone and fax) or San Kotze (015) 296-2043 (telephone and fax) for more.
Younger players benefit by absence of stars
The Citizen - April 28, 2006
Several districts playing in the annual inter-districts tournament in Johannesburg were denuded by the unavailability of many players, but this has been to the benefit of many others who have the opportunity to further their own causes.
The absence of some players has definitely shown in the form of some teams, more particularly Western Province where they have lost four of their top players to retirement and lack of leave left for bowls has become obvious.
Without Neil Burkett, (in Australia), Eric Johannes (no longer available), Kevin Campbell (reportedly retired) and Shaun Addinall (no more leave) they are much less the team they have been.. However, this is not say that the team put together has not acquitted itself well and the younger players drafted into the side have coped admirably with the task.
Not least of these is 40-year-old Peter Harvey, son of one of South Africa’s greatest bowlers, Tommy Harvey, who passed away at the age of 42 in the prime of his bowls career. Just to watch the son play one sees the father in him and that recognizable push delivery is so evident in the son.
Western Province manager, Bobby Cron said Harvey would soon be skipping one of the WP teams in inter-district tournaments.
It was also fortuitous for Western Province that former international Alan Lofthouse was able to make himself available to skip one of the WP fours after it became obvious Neil Burkett would not be back from Australia in time . His experience at this and international level has been a definite factor in helping the WP younger players..
There is a lot of youth in this tournament not least of all from Bloemfontein where we have Clinton Roets, Wayne Perry – both already internationals – Handre Marais who made such an impressions in gaining a bronze medal in the SA Masters, together with Wayne York and Jarred Oracki. With this talent, the future of the game in Bloemfontein looks very alive and well, if not now, as they lead their section after the sixth of the nine rounds.
Talk of younger players brings us to thoughts about upcoming international events and the national selectors are expected to go for youth when they pick their sides for the African States tournament in August. They are due to announce their sides at the end of the inter-districts this evening (Friday).
When I say going for youth I apply that more to the men than the women for there is a definite lack of younger players of established caliber among the women, a matter that should receive the urgent consideration of national and district executives.
So with youth in mind what do you think – and I expect brickbats – of my side for the African States.
Men: Fours: Brian Dixon, Wayne Perry, Duane Abrahams and Handre Marais. Singles: Nic Rusling.
Women: Fours: Loraine Victor, Cheryl Cox, Colleen Webb and Esme Steyn, although I would like to see Leone Durand, recently returned to the game among those names. For the singles there is only Lorna Trigwell.
Men’s national tournament chair Nicky Parker has been at the inter-provincials as a spectator and tells me all is in readiness for the tournament that begins in Cape Town on May 13 with the pairs competition. Headquarters is at Constantia.
One thing the inter-provincials have brought out is that there are some better bowlers on the national executive. National president Piet Breitenbach skips one of the two North West fours while executive member Tys Pringle has the same job for Limpopo.