IN THE N E W S SPONSORED BY facebook.com/ BowlsSouthAfrica ISSUE 89 YOUR SOURCE FOR BOWLING WORLDWIDE INFORMATION Men’s and Ladies Naonals: The closing date for MASTERS IN this event was extended to March 5. The execuve will assess the level of entries and the ALERT proporon of local parcipants before finalising a LEVEL AUGUST? decision. Both hosng districts have indicated Alan Simmonds - Media Officer that venues being used to host this event can be effecvely managed under the current protocols. For more than a year, the South African bowls community has, with expert care, been cosseed Inter Districts, Junior Naonals, Disability and caressed though trials and tribulaons Naonals, U-30 tournament: These have been imposed by the dark labyrinth of the Coronavirus cancelled for 2021. It was agreed, subject to pandemic. council approval, those scheduled to host will be Bowls South Africa, led by president Rob Forbes, afforded the chance in 2022. 1 h i s o u t s t a n d i n g e xe c u v e a n d o ffi c e DUE TO DECLINING INFECTIONS “Bowls South Africa recognises such decisions administrave staff, have evaluated, judged and will disappointment some selected. As much as acted upon serious South African Government SOUTH AFRICA we have an obligaon to provide a plaorm for protocols. In doing so they ensured our 26 000 compeve bowls equally as important is our HAS BEEN PLACED bowlers, the clubs, staff and districts were given a chance to survive. obligaon to ensure competors’ health is not ON ALERT LEVEL 1 put at risk, says Forbes. The February 28 alert level (1) is in effect They succeeded. “To demonstrate the volality of the current throughout South Africa: among regulaons Now 2021 offers further anxiees. The situaon, those of you who follow the Australian gazeed, the following apply to bowls clubs: cancellaon of all the big events, training courses Tennis Open will have seen that a few spectators Ÿ The hours of the curfew are now midnight and interrupon of day-to-day normal bowls’ were allowed at the venue, but the next day all to 4am. thoroughfare is far from over. were barred and the host city of Melbourne put Ÿ Gatherings will be permied, subject to into a five-day snap coronavirus lockdown. Forbes and his execuve met to discuss the limitaons on size, adherence to social distancing and other health protocols. staging of naonal events during 2021. “As was the case in Melbourne where hotel Ÿ These include religious, social, polical and employees tested posive, so there is a real risk cultural gatherings. BOWLS SOUTH AFRICA associated travel, accommodaon and Ÿ The maximum number of people allowed socialising which unwingly can lead to at any gathering is 100 people indoors or exposure which in turn can lead to mulple 250 people outdoors. incidents. Ÿ Where the venue is too small to accommodate these numbers with “It also needs to be recognised that people appropriate social distancing, then no parcipang in these events do so at venues more than 50% of the capacity of the venue distant from homes and the management of any may be used. contracon of the virus would bring its own Ÿ The sale of alcohol will be permied, challenges. according to normal licence provisions. However, no alcohol may be sold during “Finally, and once again speculang on an It must be remembered, there is great uncertainty the hours of curfew. around the containment of COVID-19, the way in innocent contracon of the virus, this will Ÿ The wearing of masks in public places is sll which the level of restricons can be altered at undoubtedly lead to the closure of some event mandatory, and failure to wear a mask short noce, the need to be observant of maers venues and lead to an early terminaon of the when required remains a criminal offence. such as numbers allowed in grounds and event which will cause financial losses,” Forbes clubhouses in any one venue. underlined. Any queries may be resolved by vising www.bowlssa.co.za or contacng your District Aer taking cognisance of submissions from all 20 Dates for the events for the 2022 year will be or Bowls SA. districts, the execuve has agreed: those as agreed by council but may have to be re- visited according to the progress the South Africa SA Masters: To be held during August, but at makes to combat COVID-19. WHATSAPP SUPPORT mulple venues to allow for compliance to 0600 123 456 current restricons. * Vice-president: Heather Boucher, Exec: Andy Strong, Jenny Sinclair, David Hamer Mixed Pairs: To be held as originally scheduled in and Johan Barkhuizen. Admin: Ops EMERGENCY NUMBER Port Natal. The number of parcipants will allow manager, John Ravenscro; Mike Cann for this tournament to be held under current (finance manager) and Jacqui Atkinson 0800 029 999 restricons. (comms). Falkland Islands. OK, the Pakistanis were a couple SA PROTEAS of home birds, who ran a restaurant in Glasgow, while the guys from the Falkland Islands actually live and play bowls in New Zealand. But it was good LED THE to see them on the green, adding colour to proceedings, along with teams from India and Zambia, though, predictably, they found it hard- WAY IN going. It's interesng to note how Mohammed Ayub GLASGOW Qureshi (aka Chico) and Ali Shan Muzahir came to South Africa finished on top of the 2014 Glasgow be represenng Pakistan. Born, respecvely in Commonwealth Games medal table, with five golds Lahore and Multan, Chico and Ali have lived in and two bronze medals across 10 events. All five Glasgow for most of their lives and are the owners women Proteas went home with two medals, Tracy- of the Ali Shan Tandoori Restaurant on the south Lee Botha and Colleen Piketh winning the pairs, Esmé side of the City. When their bank manager Steyn, Santjie Steyn, Tracy-Lee Botha and Susan Nel persuaded them to sponsor a bowls tournament at (there's a story about Susan elsewhere in this edion) the Clarkston club, they became fascinated with the fours, while Piketh bagged bronze in the singles, that hosted the 1951 Fesval of Britain as well as the game, and took it up seriously. Ali even as did the two Steyns and Nel in the triples. In the motor shows, modern homes exhibions, world progressed to the Scosh finals at Ayr Northfield, men’s, 2002 singles champion Bobby Donnelly championship boxing, rock and classical concerts where he reached the last 16 of the naonal skipped Prince Neluonde and Pierre Breitenbach to including Jerry Lee Lewis, Ella Fitzgerald, Elton John, singles. The Kinks and the Royal Scosh Naonal Orchestra. the men’s triples tle. South Africa also dominated Joined by Muhammad Shahzad, a PhD student at In 1955, Billy Graham preached to over 180,000 the para events, Gwen Nel (directed by Geoff Glasgow University, they competed in the men's people over a six-week period and many people Newcombe) and Herman Scholtz (directed by singles and triples, playing nine games altogether, fondly remember the Kelvin Hall circus. Annatjie van Rooyen) winning the visually impaired and, although they lost them all, they were never pairs and Deon van der Vyver, Roger Hagerty and The five greens used for the Games were also within outclassed. Shahzad, for example, took 15 shots off Derrick Lobban, taking the para (mixed disability) walking distance of the Scosh Exhibion Centre Canada's high profile Ryan Bester, who went on to triples tle… veteran Brish bowls correspondent (SEC). That's where you'll find a Clyde-side building reach the men's singles final. DAVID RHYS JONES looks back … with an auditorium that can hold 3,000 people. One of the biggest rivalries in sport is when Bearing a passing resemblance to the Sydney Opera Hello You Inside Bowlers! - Having missed out on New Pakistan face India, and predictably, one of Shazad s House, it is a well-known and loved Glasgow Delhi in 2010, the Games in Glasgow were my toughest games came in the singles, when he faced landmark known affeconately as the Armadillo. seventh, and they proved to be as evenul as the first India's Sunil Bahadur. Excruciangly, they ran out of This, incidentally, was where the weightliing six, full of pomp and ceremony, laden with as loads of me, and the Indian took the verdict, 20-18. skill, and with plenty of drama to keep us compeons were held at the 2014 Games. entertained. Chico, who has since been appointed Pakistan's Bowls, which has its roots in the ball-rolling games of naonal coach, and has played bowls in Brunei, Mediaeval mes, may not have been actually born And the locaon of the greens, just below the Malaysia, China and Australia, has a very special in Scotland, but it is certainly where it was refined University, and in the shadow of the Kelvingrove Art memory of one triples game in Kelvingrove. 'We and developed in the 19th Century. Indeed, it was a Gallery and Museum made it one the most were playing against the Australians, who were Glasgow solicitor W W Mitchell, who drew up a code picturesque venues ever. As Kelvin Kerkow, who was obviously expected to win,' he recalls with pride. of Laws to clean up the game in 1849 - some 43 years part of Steve Glasson's Australian coaching team, 'But we opened up an early lead and were sll before the Scosh Bowling Associaon was formed said: 'Kelvingrove Park was an amazing venue - there ahead with a handful of ends le to play.