Tough field awaits local bowlers
Calistus Kolantsho | Friday November 18, 2022 12:32
The competition kicks off tomorrow. The global event features both the men's and women's singles discipline.
Marea Modutlwa (Gaborone Club) and Edwin Nyoka (Orapa Club) qualified to represent Botswana by virtue of being the 2019 National Singles Champions as the 2020 edition of the tournament was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The World Singles Champion of Champions is the only competition whereby any club player, anywhere in the world, can progress through to a National Singles title and have a shot at the World Singles title without the necessity to curry favour with national selectors. Modutlwa and Nyoka arrived in Wellington on Wednesday and started by hitting the greens for practice.
Modutlwa told Mmegi Sport that the time difference between New Zealand and Botswana has not been a factor. “With jet lag, one needs to adapt to the new environment quickly. Upon arrival, we freshened up and went for afternoon practice.
There is no sleeping during the day, the body will get used to the new time quicker,” she said. Modutlwa said preparations have been going well for the World Singles. She said they have been active since the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
Modutlwa said there were tournaments in Jwaneng, Mafikeng [South Africa], Francistown and Orapa. She said they have been doing individual practices at their respective clubs. “The challenge has been the rain because when it rains the green becomes heavy.
In New Zealand greens are faster, you just have to release the ball without much pushing. Ideally, we would have an environment where greens are not heavy. We arrived here earlier than most countries and we will have more time to practice on New Zealand greens,” she said. Amongst her accolades, Modutlwa has represented Botswana at the past two Commonwealth Games and the 2019 Atlantic Bowls Championships.
She secured a qualification spot in Singles for the 2020 World Bowls Championships, which were later postponed. Modutlwa was part of the women's team that won a gold medal in the Fours and silver in the Pairs discipline during the African States Tournament (AST) in Kenya. Nyoka’s first international assignment was during the 2017 AST, where he won a gold medal in the men’s fours in South Africa.
Nyoka competed at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games as well as the 2019 AST in Kenya. “I have been preparing by practising Singles games with my club mates. I also ensured that I played every competition in the bowling calendar where possible,” Nyoka said. Women's section fixtures: Falkland Islands vs Modutlwa (November 19), Australia vs Modutlwa (November 19), Modutlwa vs Namibia (November 20), Modutlwa vs the Netherlands (November 20), Modutlwa vs Kenya (November 21), Modutlwa vs South Africa (November 21), Modutlwa vs Ireland (November 22), Modutlwa vs England (November 22), Cook Islands vs Modutlwa (November 23) and Zambia vs Modutlwa (November 23).
Men: Scotland vs Nyoka (November 19), Singapore vs Nyoka (November 19), Falkland Islands vs Nyoka (November 20), Guernsey vs Nyoka (November 20), South Africa vs Nyoka), Norfolk Islands vs Nyoka (November 21), Fiji vs Nyoka (November 23), Samoa vs Nyoka (November 22), Ireland vs Nyoka (November 23) and New Zealand vs Nyoka (November 23).