• Bowling

Bowls Champ of Champs crowned

• 2 Months Ago 31 October 2024

Namib Park Bowling Club hosted the Namibian Closed Singles tournament recently with 42 bowlers (17 female and 25 male) from Swakopmund Bowls Club, Windhoek Bowling Club, Eros Bowling Club, Trustco United Bowls Club in action.

Yvonne Carstens emerged as the Ladies’ Singles competition winner and Allen Langenstrassen won the Men's Singles competition, at the event organised by the Namibia Bowling Association (NBA). Yvonne defeated Huipie van Wyk with 6-6 and 8-4 in the women’s singles final. Allen defeated Brian Nel with 6-2 and 9-3 in the men’s singles final.

The two champions will represent the Land of the Brave at the prestigious World Bowls Champion of Champions singles event scheduled for Australia, in September 2025.

According to Colin Peake, the Competition Secretary of the NBA, the standard of bowls was high at the Namibian Closed Singles tournament with difficult conditions prevailing during the competition in the harbour town. “The wind and dust made it tricky in addition to the unique blowing greens surface which is very fast and requires a lot of skill. This was the last national event, and clubs will continue hosting internal competitions.”

The best of the best

Amanda Steenkamp and Waylon Wenzel, who were crowned Namibian Closed Singles tournament champions in 2023, will represent the country at this year's edition of the World Bowls Champion of Champions singles event, taking place from 25 to 30 November 2024 in Auckland, New Zealand.

Wenzel who lost against Langestrassen in the semi-final of this year's Namibian Closed Singles tournament at Namib Bowls Club in Walvis Bay, said that he was both nervous and excited to compete on the world stage. “It was my first national title and I am elated about the achievement. The conditions in New Zealand are very much different than what we used to. I am looking forward to competing, bringing back a medal and rounding the year off in style.”

National Champion of Champion winners are invited to the annually hosted event to compete and claim the title of World Champion. The event featured 33 nations from around the world comprising thirty-one men and twenty-seven women who qualified in 2023.

One of a kind

Namib Park Bowling Club resolved late last year to replace its grass bowling greens with a unique synthetic bowling greens. “Work commenced and we officially opened the new bowling greens, which is the first of its kind and was constructed for N$100 000, in January this year. This is a significant saving because a state-of-the-art synthetic bowling greens would have cost us close to N$ 2.5 million,” said Steven Peake, the club president.

He explained that preparation for the foundation is similar to that of a synthetic bowling green. “We only added an anchovy fishing net on top of the gypsum. This allows us to reduce our maintenance cost from N$10 000 per month to N$4000 because we can pick the net up and do maintenance when required. It also means that bowls are becoming a more affordable sport and can expand into other regions”

The BitStream Business Social League will conclude on 9 November with the X-mas rinks scheduled for 16 November and NPBC Nominated Trips from 23 to 24 November at Namib Park Bowling Club.