Bowls Taranaki seek fresh talent

Bowls Taranaki has started the new season by setting a goal of attracting 100 first year players for the new season. Chairman Brien Bennett said it was a tough target to achieve, but that the centre and clubs had the resources to reach triple figures.

‘‘Last year we had 38 new bowlers. But we are determined to align more closely with the clubs to ensure our sport has a brighter future,’’ he said. ‘‘That has already started and this push is the first of what will become a number of initiatives or changes introduced by the Towards 2020 committee.’’

The Towards 2020 committee is largely made up of existing board members who have been tasked with ensuring bowls in Taranaki is in the correct shape by the year 2020.

‘‘It is an exciting time for the sport. I only wish I was 40 years younger.’’

❚ Taranaki finished second and fourth respectively in the men’s and women’s sections of the central region junior representative hexagonal bowls fixture in Wanganui on Sunday.

The men, with 21 points out of a possible 40, finished second to Wellington, who won with an emphatic

32.

Bruce Lilley, Adyne Jack and Steve Muller were the best of the Taranaki players, each winning four games from five. The women, with 20 points, finished fourth as Hawke’s Bay claimed the title with 28 points.

Jill Dyett, Hazel Schwartfeger, Lesley Te Awa, Gina McKenzie and Frances Busby all won three matches from five.

❚ Dean Elgar has started the new season in fine style by recently claiming the prestigious Paraparaumu Beach invitation pairs with Manawatu’s Craig Gush.

They nosed out Maurice Symes, formerly of Hawera Park and now of Blenheim, and Simon Hitchcock 15-14 in the final.

Following last season’s successes, Elgar steps up onto the international stage at the end of the month competing in the world champion-ofchampions at the St Johns club in Sydney.

He will play a gruelling 14 section matches, the first against English champion Simon Green, between October 30 and November 3, before the playoff matches follow.

Elgar must make the top three in his pool of 15 to face off against the best three in the other group.

The world event stated in 2003 and four New Zealanders – Ali Forsyth, Tony Grantham, Jo Edwards and Sandra Keith – are past winners. Auckland’s Selina Goddard is one of 24 competitors in the women’s section this year.