2024 Bowls for the Disabled National Championships a great success
By Owen James
The 2024 Bowls for the Disabled National Championships were held at the scenic Helderberg and Somerset West Bowling Clubs. The weather really played its part too, with fantastic Days of sunshine and minimal wind.
Players from around the country descended on Somerset West to start the tournament on the 16 March for 7 days of bowls, culminating in the finals on the 23 March.
Bowls of astounding level was witnessed by the spectators who visited on the various days. While live streaming, being done daily by Burnt Ends Promotions, promoted the event for others around the country.
Two formats are played, Singles and pairs, in the 2 disciplines, being, Visually Impaired, and Physically Disabled.
Each discipline is broken down again into 4 classifications B1 to B4 being the different levels of Visual Impairment, starting with the B1 who are totally blind, and rely solely on their ‘Directors’ for all forms of guidance including full assistance on and off the green.
The Physically disabled competition was played in 3 of the 4 classifications this year B6 to B8, with B6 being the most restrictive of the physical movements.
Prior to the tournament a full two-day training program for ‘Directors’ for the blind and Visually Impaired, was held at Helderberg BC by Bowls SA, after a request from Peninsula Bowls to develop such a course, this resulted in fantastic results being achieved by the bowlers, due to the increased knowledge base and training of their directors.
This new initiative by Bowls SA has resulted in the wish by the players and directors alike that the program now gets taken nation wide for all Directors, and hopefully bring to the fore that Bowls is truly a sport for all. Also promoting the sport amongst the Visually Impaired fraternity.
Mariza Jurgens and her guide dog.
Spectators also witnesses the world class bowls played by the Physically Disabled, that shocked the Able-Bodied Bowlers that witnessed it. Comments by able bodied bowls such as, ‘I wouldn’t want to play against these guys’, to ‘I wish I could play like that’, was overheard daily.
This year saw ‘Bowlers with Disabilities’ in their 20’s competing against bowlers in their 80’s, all on the same level playing field, truly embracing the bowls motto “1 sport for life 4 all”
2024 Disabled Bowlers' Nationals medal winners
B1 Ladies Singles
Winner: Smith, Tracy / Smith, Tommy
B1 Men's Singles
Winner: Fortune, G / Labuschagne, L
B2 Ladies Singles
Winner: Eshun, Michelle / Mc Court, Jenne
B2 Men's Singles
Winner: Ackermann, Vickus / Scheepers, Braam
B2 Mixed Pairs
Winner: Neethling, Cois / Eshun, Michelle / Loots, Danie / Mc Court, Jenne
B3 / B4 Pairs
Winners: Engelbrecht, L / Engelbrecht, D/ Schroeder, Princess / Ward, G
B3 Ladies Singles
Winner: Engelbrecht, Linsay / Engelbrecht, D
B3 Men's singles
Winner: Crouse, Abraham / Mc Duling, Cynthia
B4 Ladies / Mens Singles
Winners: Fourie, Eben / Collen, Charles
Silver: Morries, Salome / Gouws, KA
PD Men's pairs
Gold: Viljoen, Wimpie / vd Merwe, Gustav
Silver: Beetge, Nico / Streso, Eric
Bronze: vd Heiden, Eddie / vd Vyver, Deon
B6 Men’s singles
Gold: Horn, Hannes
Silver: Subramony, Logan
Bronze: vd Vyver, Deon
B7 Men's singles
Gold: Jacobs, Jakes
Silver: James, Jarid
Bronze: Beetge, Nico
B8 Men's singles
Gold: Viljoen, Wimpie
Silver: vd Merwe, Gustav
Bronze: Greyvenstein, Stephan
PD Ladies’ pairs
Gold: Levin, Desiree / Evans, Louise
Silver: v d Merwe, Vicky / Palmer, Margie
Bronze: Meyer, Annetjie / Latimore, Mandy
Ladies singles Section
Gold: Levin, Desiree
Silver: Vicky v d Merwe
Bronze: Mandy Latimore
Lappies Labuschagne, Gamiet Fortune Abe Crouse and Roy Peters
After the prize giving ceremony the ‘Bowls for the Disabled’, Protea and ‘Bowls SA invitation’ team was officially announced and introduced to the public.
This year sees South Africa Hosting the IBD (International Bowls for the Disabled) world Championships that will take place in Ekurhuleni Gauteng from the 18to 31 May this year. This event takes place every 4 years, however due to Covid in 2020 could not be played, so players have been starved of this international level of bowls since 2015 when it last played. The tournament is self-funded by each player.
Protea Team
Visually Impaired
Player Director
Tracy Smith Tommy Smith
Michiel Kruger Willie Schoeman
Michelle Eshun Jene McCourt
Herman Scholtz Geoff Newcombe
May Homer Paul Homer
Keith Orrel. Gail van Wyk
Nozipho Princess Scroeder. Graham Ward
Salomie Morries Karin Gouws
Eben Fourie Charles Collen
Physically Disabled
Deon van der Vyver
Eddie van der Heiden
Annatjie Meyer
Mandy Latimore
Desiree Levin
Jarid James
Gareth Rees-Gibbs
Wimpie Viljoen
Gustave van der Merwe
Vicky van der Merwe
Margie Palmer
Cedric Summersgill - Manager
Denise Fields - Team Coach
BSA INVITATIONAL
Player Director
Simon (V) Ackerman. Abraham Scheepers
Grant van Eyssen. Pieter Beukes
Nicolas Dedekind. F. Dedekind
Logan Subramony
Glen Mackintosh
Chenelle Van Zyl
Nico Beetge
Eric Streso
Louise Evans
Mandy Sargent
Versha Rowjee
Pikkie Loots
Chris Reyneke
This team consists of so many of the players that have performed well at the 2024, BD Nationals
Sadly, Bowls is not a sport that is funded by any of the sports confederations, or DSAC’s in the country. Therefore, players are required to self-fund their participation at these championships. Most of these players are on social grants, or casually employed, and often fall in the minimum wage category although their bowls talent allows them to play at an international level. This was witnessed recently in a Multi nations championship where some of these players, played South Africa into second placed Silver, falling only a few points short of gold medal, to Australia.
A request goes out to anyone in the community or in business that feel that they could assist these players financially through sponsorship to contact the team manager (and a ‘Director’ for the blind himself) Cedric Somersgill, as they are a recognised NPO. bepced@gmail.com or contact him on Cell No. 0834428114. If you require any further clarification on how you can assist the team.
