Aussies target Games crowns
AUSTRALIA is primed to contest the Asia Pacific Games commencing on the Gold Coast today.
Nineteen countries will compete in the Games to be held at Club Helensvale, Musgrave Hill and Broadbeach Clubs through to June 28.
Club Helensvale’s Lynsey Clarke headlines three new inclusions named in the Jackaroos team selected.
Clarke returns to the national fold following a 15month international hiatus to mother and raise two children, while in-form NSW pair Ray Pearse and Aaron Teys have also been selected in the 10player contingent.
Following a standout year in 2018, which included an Australian singles crown, Pearse has been handed the plum blue-ribbon singles position, while counterpart Kelsey Cottrell will return to singles duty for the first time since the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Rising star Teys, 25, secured a spot as one of the main five men for the first time, having previously represented Australia as a part of extended squads in three events.
Unsurprisingly, Australia’s golden girls, who collected the triples and fours gold medals at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, have also cemented their spots.
Carla Krizanic, Rebecca Van Asch and Natasha Scott are hoping for yet another fruitful campaign.
Bolstering the men’s line-up are three proven combatants, who all claimed silver at the Commonwealth Games, with Club Helensvale’s Aron Sherriff skipping the triples and fours, teammate Nathan Rice taking the reins of the pairs, and Melbourne’s Barrie Lester leading for Sherriff.
Broadbeach’s Ryan Bester and Katelyn Inch will represent Canada and New Zealand respectively during the Games which will showcase some of the world’s best
The Asia Pacific Championships is a qualifying event for the 2020 World Bowls Championships, to be at the same venues in May/June next year.
Bowls Australia will livestream the event.
■ St Johns Park’s Ben Twist has won the inaugural $25,000 Brisbane Open Singles at Club Manly defeating Corey Wedlock in the final.