Bowls ready to contribute

Though she admits it will be a challenge to adjust to the conditions, Colleen Piketh believes the South African team can again rely on the lawn bowls contingent to make a valuable contribution to the nation’s overall haul at next month’s Commonwealth Games.

At the last edition of the quadrennial multi-sport championships, in Glasgow four years ago, the SA bowls team raked in five gold medals – more than any other code – and their seven-medal haul was bettered only by the swimming (12) and athletics (nine) squads.

Piketh was among the star performers, earning gold in the women’s pairs and bronze in the singles contest.

“I have experience, but these will be new conditions,” Piketh said ahead of the team’s departure yesterday for the Gold Coast Games which start next week.

“The greens are different to what they were in Glasgow, so you’ve got to adjust your game slightly.

“We’ll also be using different bowls – narrow bias bowls rather than the normal ones we used in Glasgow – so we’ve got to make lots of adjustments, but I’m going in with a positive frame of mind.”

Other former bowls medallists in the team include veteran Gerry Baker, who secured one gold and two bronze at three editions of the Games between 1998 and 2010, as well as Esme Kruger and Petrus Breitenbach, who both stepped on the podium in Glasgow.

“In general, the bowlers have always done well, so we are competitive and our expectations are high,” said the 45-year-old Piketh, a former World Championships bronze medallist.

“We’d like to do well, and hopefully we’ll achieve the same as we did last time. I would say we’ll get a minimum of four (medals) because each of us can compete in two disciplines, so we get two bites of the cherry.”